ST. ANJN^'S PARISH, 

ANN ARUNDEL COUNTY. 



This parish was one of tliirty-fi^ vfVioh were estab- 
lished, as the records of the Grovernor and Council 
state, under the Act of the General Assembly of Mary- 
land, passed A. D. 1692, entitled ''an Act for the 
service of Almighty God, and the establishment of 
the Protestant Religion in this Province," in the reign 
of William and Mary ; Lyonel Copley, Esq., being 
Governor. 

But in consequence of the loss of the first twelve 
pages of the Records of the Vestry's proceedings, 
which is to be very greatly regretted, the steps taken 
in the first organization of the parish, cannot now be 
ascertained — nor any thing else, indeed, from that 
source, for twelve years. 

In the returns, however, made as required of the 
several Vestries in the Province to the Governor, 
Francis Nicholson, Esq., and his Council, St. Ann's 
was returned in 1696, under the name of Middle Neck 
Parish, and as consisting of the territory between 
South River and the Severn. 



4 HISTORICAL NOTICES 

1649. 

But there is a history c»f this region previous to the 
year 1692, which is well calculated to attract interest, 
and which is too important not to give it our atten- 
tion. Twenty years after the settlement was first made 
on Kent Island, that is in A. D. 1629, and fifteen 
after that in St. Mary's, by Lord Baltimore, a com- 
pany of emigrants, from the province of Virginia, 
settled in the neighborhood, and on the very ground 
in part, of what is now the city of Annapolis. They 
were Puritans. 

The Puritans of that day were both a religious and 
a political party, and in Virginia they were dissenters 
from the church of England, as then by law estab- 
lished there. They had sprung up in that province 
within the previous six years, very much under the 
teaching and influence of preachers sent to them from 
Massachusetts, upon the application of Mr. William 
Durand. So early indeed as ten years before this, in 
1639, under the administration of Sir William Berk- 
ley, several severe laws had been made in Virginia, 
against the Puritans — though, as Beverly in his histo- 
ry of that colony tells us, there was as yet none there, 
but they were intended to prevent the infection from 
reaching the country. But in this instance, as in 
others, the enactments of law did not accomplish what 
\vas intended. For two years ai'ter this was done, 
some few were found there, and at the present time, 
1619, their numbers had increased to upwards of one 
hundred. But the Governor at length putting the 
laws which had been made into rigid execution, they 
were compelled to leave Virginia, and at once *'they 
removed themselves," to use the language of their 
own historian, '''families and estates, into the Province 
of Maryland, being thereto invited by Capt. William 
Stone, then Governor for Lord Baltimore, with the 



OF ST. ANN S PARISH. 5 

promise of liberty in religion and privileges of En- 
glish subjects." Langford, indeed, says it was done 
by a friend of Governor Stone — but qui facit per alium 
facitper se. It amounts to the same thing. 

At this date, in England, the Parliament was as- 
cendant, the King having been put to death in the 
preceding January, and Governor Stone, as Lord 
Baltimore's friend Langford states, was a Protestant, 
devoted to the Parliament. He had been appointed 
Governor, on condition of bringing into the province 
^ve hundred colonists. And these Puritans^ were 
doubtless, invited among others, to help make up that 
number. They were not indeed Presbyterians, as the 
Parliament itself was, but like them, they were avowed 
enemies of Bishops and the Book of Common Prayer, 
though they held to the thirty -nine articles of the 
Church of England, as they interpreted them, and 
were fanatically zealous religionists. They held that 
each local society, called a church, was perfectly in- 
dependent of every other such society — each having 
the right of ordaining its own ministers, and of self 
government. And as a political party, they were 
utterly hostile to the existence of Kings — and claimed 
the right, and so aimed, to subject all others to their 
own chosen form of government, in which, the civil 
was held in subjection to the ecclesiastical. 

It does not appear that on their arrival in the 
Severn, they took out any patents for their lands, un- 
der Lord Baltimore, but in very few instances. This 
was because he required of every one so taking up 
land, an oath of fidelity to himself. This, they held, 
bound them to acknowledge and to be subject to a 
royal jurisdiction and absolute dominion of Lord Bal- 
timore — and to defend it and him against all power 
whatsoever — which they thought too much unsuitable 
to the present liberty which God had given the En- 
glish subjects. This is expressly stated by Leonard 
1* 



b HISTORICAL NOTICES 

8trong^ one of their number, with the imprimatur of 
their ruling elder, in a pamphlet written some six 
years after their coming hither, and shows that in fact 
they did not intend any such defence of the Lord pro- 
}>rietary, or subjection to him. Having thus no such 
intention, it is not clear that it was either honorable 
oi- just, to seat themselves upon the lands of which Lord 
JJaltimore was the proprietor, and consequently had 
the right to make his own terms of settlement, provid- 
ed those terms were within the limits of the charter. 

The town first settled by them, was at Greenberry's 
Point — a peninsula two miles east from the State 
House — then known as Town Neck. This neck indeed 
is not in St. Ann's parish, but in that across the 
Severn, the present St. Margaret's Westminster. But 
as it consisted of but two hundred and fifty acres, and 
was patented by eight individuals only, it is evident 
that others of the hundred emigrants seated them- 
selves in the country near by : and the entire settle- 
ment thus made was named by them Providence. — 
They had around them then, not only the wide waters 
of the Chesapeake and the Severn, South river and its 
creeks, and the unbroken forest of the wilderness, 
filled with beasts of prey, but also the wild Indian. 
And we must not imagine that they met with no 
trouble from this latter source. For they had not 
long been seated on the Severn, before one of their 
nimber was most cruelly and barbarously murdered 
by the savages. And thus by night and day, around 
their tent fires, their minds were filled with fearful 
and continual apprehensions. 



1650. 

It was in this year, (April 1650,) that the settlement 
sent two Burgesses to the General Assembly at St. 



OF ST. Ann's parish. f 

Mary's — Mr. James Cox and Mr. George Puddington, 
the former of whom was elected Speaker of the lower 
House. This House, at this time, consisted of four- 
teen members, eight of whom were Protestants. St. 
Mary's county had itself eleven members, of whom 
six were Protestants. This fact thus shows us some- 
thing of the relative numbers of the two parties in that 
county. 

At this Assembly an act was passed, erecting Pro- 
vidence into a county, and the name given it was 
Ann Arundel, that being the maiden name of Lady 
Baltimore. This compliment indicates somewhat, 
certainly, the then prevailing disposition towards his 
Lordship, on the part of the Protestants — for they not 
only had a majority of two in the lower House, hut 
in the upper House likewise of three. There was also 
passed at that time, an Act for taking an oath of 
fidelity to the Lord proprietary, which, left out the 
words * 'absolute lord" and "royal jurisdiction," so 
much scrupled by the new comers at Providence, and 
a clause inserted "that they would defend and main- 
tainall such his Lordship's just and lawful rights, title, 
interests, &c., not any wise understood to infringe or 
prejudice liberty of conscience in point of religion." 
This was inserted because the oath, as it had been pre- 
scribed by Lord Baltimore, was exceedingly scrupled 
at, not only on account of the titles which it used — 
the revolution in England having abolished those 
titles there — but also on another account, namely : 
that in taking it, as they said, they must swear to up- 
hold the government, and those officers who are sworn 
to uphold Anti-Christ — in plain words expressed in 
the Governor's oath — the Roman Catholic religion. 
That oath, however, only required of the Governor 
and Council that they should not trouble or molest any 
Roman Catholic in respect of his religion. And this 
it may well be conceived, was something difi'erent from 



8 HISTORICAL NOTICES 

upholding him therein. But whatever they claimed 
for themselves, the Puritans acknowledged no exercise 
of toleration towards the Komanists — and this on the 
ground of their rights as English subjects — the laws 
of England, then existing and in force there, forbid- 
in g, indeed, any such toleration. 

The settlers at Providence, now professedly ac- 
quiesced in the government of the province, and hav- 
ing taken the oath as it had been modified, they pro- 
ceeded to take out warrants of survey for land — though 
not their patents. Thus on the 17th of May, Mr. 
George Puddington received his warrant for 800 acres, 
Mr. James Cox for 300, and others for larger as well 
as for lesser amounts. In June, 1650, land was first 
surveyed here for four individuals, and in 1651, for 
nine more. 

In July Governor Stone visited them, and com- 
missioned Mr. Edward Lloyd to be commander of 
Ann Arundel county. Mr. Lloyd was from Wales, 
and was here engaged as a land surveyor. As we 
learn from John BozmanKerr, Esq., after a residence 
in the province of twenty years nearly, in 1668 he 
left Talbot county, where he and many others from 
Providence had finally settled, and returned to Lon- 
don_, and there became a merchant. He died in that 
city in 1695. He left, however, his son Philemon be- 
hind him in the province, and gave him his estate in 
Talbot. He was the ancestor of the present Col. Ed- 
ward Lloyd, of Wye, in that county. 

Governor Stone also appointed Mr. James Home- 
wood, Mr. Thomas Meares, Mr. Thomas Marsh, Mr. 
George Puddington, Mr. Mathew Hawkins, Mr. 
James Merryman and Mr. Henry Catlin, Commis- 
sioners, or County Justices. Their commission was 
dated July 30, 1650. The names thus mentioned, 
furnishes us with the fact that these prominent men 
were not the patentees of land at Town Neck or Green- 



OF ST. ANN S PARISH, \9 

berry's Point — for as is seen in Kilty's Landholdervs' 
Assistant, page 136, they were William Pell, George 
8aplier, Robert Rockhould, William Penny, Christo- 
pher Oatley, Oliver Sprye, John Lordking and Rich- 
ard Bennett, who was not, however, a resident in the 
colony. The Justices, we perceive, thus resided else- 
where in the county than at Town Neck. In Decem- 
her, 1650, land was surveyed in Middle Neck Hundred 
for Richard and Alexander Warfield. 



1651. 

On the 8th of July, 1651, it appears from 2. Bozman, 
463, that Mr. Lloyd, the commander of Ann Arun- 
del, granted, as he had been empowered to do by the 
Governor, a warrant to Thomas Todd for a great part 
of the land on which the city of Annapolis now 
stands. But no transcript ot the right or title, was 
ever sent to the land office at St. Mary's, nor any 
certificate of survey ever returned. Still as the Rent 
Roll shows, on the 8th of July, 1651;, there was sur- 
veyed for Thomas Todd, 100 acres, on which was after- 
wards part of Annapolis and its liberties. 

It may be mentioned liere, tliat in the month of 
November, the tract of land called Acton, of 100 
acres, on which James Murray, Esq. now lives, on 
Carroll's Creek, (near Severn) Annapolis^ had been 
surveyed and taken up in the name of Charles Ham- 
mond. 

Todd's Range was surveyed December 18, 1662, for 
Thomas Todd — being on the south side of the Severn 
100 acres and 20 acres — Annapolis covers it. 

Todd's Harbor was surveyed September 16, 1670. 
This is what is now called Annapolis — but who 
actually took out the patent for it, has not been ascer- 
tained. 



10 HISTORICAL NOTICES 

The King, as before stated, having been beheaded, 
the Presbyterian Parliament became in name, what it 
had been before in fact, the sole government of Eng- 
land. And in order to reduce Virginia and the plan- 
tations within the Chesapeake to obedience to the com- 
monwealth of England — meaning thereby the Par- 
liament without a King — in September of this year 
a committee of five were appointed. This committee 
included Mr. Kichard Bennett and Captain William 
Claiborne, Treasurer of Virginia, and were known as 
the Parliament's Commissioners. 



1652. . 

The Commissioners just mentioned, having re- 
duced Virginia to obedience to the Parliament, in 
November of 1651 came over into Maryland. They 
proposed to Governor Stone and his Council to remain 
in their places, conforming themselves, meanwhile, 
to the laws of the commonwealth of England, in point 
of government only — but not infringing on Lord Bal- 
timore's just rights. This conibrmity required that 
in all writs, warrants, &c., instead of Lord Balti- 
more's name, as the custom was^ that of ^'the keepers 
of the liberty of England, by authority of Parlia- 
ment," should be used. To this, though belonging 
to the Parliament's party, as the Governor and a 
majority of his Council did, they objected, and con- 
sequently they were removed from their office by the 
Commissioners. In their stead w^ere substituted 
Robert Brooke, Esq. and Mr. Job Chandler — mem- 
bers of Governor Stone's Council ; Colonel Francis 
Yeardly, Capt. Edward Windham, Mr. Richard Pres- 
ton and Lieut. Richard Banks, as the Council to direct 
the affairs of the province, and Lord Baltimore's com- 
mi sions to his Governor and Council were declared 



OF ST. ANN'S PARISH. 11 

null and void. Mr. Brooke was put in the Governor's 
place, and Governor Stone and the two Romanist 
members of his Council and the Secretary were set 
aside. 

Having thus accomplished this change in the gov- 
ernment, the Commissioners then returned to Vir- 
ginia, where Mr. Bennett was appointed by the Com- 
missioners and Burgesses, the Governor of Virginia, 
and Capt, Claiborne, Secretary of State. This office 
indeed he had held under the King from 1624 — for 
thirteen years — soon after which, he had been ap- 
pointed by the same authority, Treasurer of the pro- 
vince for life. 

In the June following of 1652, the Parliament's 
Commissioners, Bennett and Claiborne, came over to 
Maryland again — and as they found it to be the mani- 
fest desire of the inhabitants of the province that 
Capt. Stone should resume his former place as Gover- 
nor — having now agreed to the terms before offered 
him, he was duly re-instated by the Commissioners, 
and they returned to Virginia. 



1653. 

Time now passed on and nothing was heard from 
Lord Baltimore till late in 1653, when instructions 
were received from him by Governor Stone, requiring 
the colonists to take the oath of fidelity, just as it 
had before been prescribed by him, or that their land 
would be forfeited — thus re-asserting his own para- 
mount authority, and attempting to resume his inde- 
pendent government in the province. This he (Gov. 
S.) at once made known. 



12 HISTORICAL NOTICES 

1654. 

On the 3rd of January following, a petition was 
addressed to the Parliament's Commissioners, from 
the Commissioners of Severn alias Ann Arundel coun- 
ty, that heing, it would seem, their place of residence, 
.subscribed by Edward Lloyd and seventy-seven per- 
tsons of the house-keepers, inhabitants, in which they 
.said ^'that whereas loe ivere invited and encouraged 
hy Capt. Stone J Lord Baltimore's Governor of Mary- 
land, to remove ourselves and estates into this pro- 
vince^ with promise of enjoying the liberty of our 
consciences in matters of religion and other privileges 
of English subjects — and your petitioners did upon 
this ground, with great cost, labor and danger, re- 
move ourselves, and have been at great charges in 
building and clearing — noAV the Lord Baltimore im- 
poseth an oath upon us, by proclamation, which he 
requireth his Lieutenant (Gov. Stone) forthwith to 
publish, which if we do not take within three months 
after publication, all our lands are to be seized for his 
Lordship's use. This oath we conceive not agreeable 
tt) the terms on which we came hither, nor to the 
liberty of conscience as christians and free subjects of 
tlie commonwealth of England. Neither can we be 
persuaded in our consciences by any light of God or 
engagement upon us to take such an oath, but rather 
omceive it to be a real grievance, and such an oppres- 
sion as we are not able to bear. Neither do we see 
with what lawful power such an oath, with such ex- 
treme penalties can, by his Lordship, be exacted of 
us, who are free subjects of the commonwealth of 
England, and have taken the engagement to them. 
We have complained of this grievance to the late 
Council of State, in a petition subscribed by us, which 
never received any answer — such as might clear the 
hiwfulness of such; his proceedings with us, but an 



OP ST. Ann's parish. 13 

aspersion cast upon us of being factious fellows. — 
Neither have we received any conviction of our error 
in not taking the oath, nor order by that power be- 
fore whom our petition is still depending, to take it 
hereafter. Neither can we believe that the connnon- 
weath of England will ever expose us to such a mani- 
fest and real bondage, (who assert themselves the 
maintainors of the lawful liberties of the subject) as 
to make us swear an absolute subjection to a govern- 
ment, where the Ministers of State are bound by oath 
to countenance and defend the Roman popish relig- 
ion, which we apprehend to be contrary to the funda- 
mental laws of England, to the covenant taken in the 
three kingdoms and the consciences of true English 
subjects, and doth carry on an arbitrary power, so as 
wViatever is done by the people at great cost in assem- 
blies for the good of the people, is liable to be made 
null by the negative voice of his Lordship/' * -t * 

On the 2d of March following, the proclama- 
tion of Lord Baltimore, spoken of in the petition, 
reinstating things as tliey were before the reducement, 
was published by Grovernor Stone, as directed. 

But on the 12tli, the Commissioners, Bennett and 
Claiborne, replied to the above petition thus : "We 
have lately received from you a petition and complaint 
against Lord Baltimore, his Governor and officers 
there, who upon pretence of some uncertain papers 
and relations to he sent out of England, but no way 
certified or authenticated, have presumed to recede 
from their obedience to the commonweal tli of En- 
gland, to which they were reduced by the Pailiament's 
Commissioners, to the contrary whereof nothing hatli 
been sent out of England, as far as is yet made ap- 
pear unto us, but duplicates and confirmation of the 
Commissioners power and actions were sent from the 
Parliament since the reduction of Virginia and Mary- 
land. Now whereas you complain * * *. We have 
2 



14 HISTORICAL NOTICES 

thought good to send you this answer, that because 
we, nor you, have not as yet received or seen sufficient 
orders or directions from the Parliament and State of 
England contrary to the form to which you were re- 
duced and established by the Parliament's said Com- 
missioners, therefore, we advise and require you^ that 
in no case you depart from the same, but that you 
continue your due obedience to the commonwealth of 
England, in such manner as you and they were then 
appointed and engaged, and not to be drawn aside 
from the same upon any pretence of such uncertain 
relations, as we hear are divulged among you. To 
which we expect your real conformity, as you will 
answer to the contrary, notwithstanding, any pre- 
tence of power from the Lord Baltimore's agents, or 
any other whatsoever, to the contrary." 

Two months after this, in May, Cromwell was pro- 
claimed in the province, by Governor Stone, Lord 
Protector of the commonwealth of England, Scotland 
and Ireland, and the dominions thereunto belonging: 
thus recognizing and acknowledging the supremacy 
of the power in the province, from whence the Com- 
missioners derived their authority. 

In July following the Commissioners came again 
into Maryland, and again set aside Governor Stone 
and his Council — being aided therein by the people 
of Patuxent and of Severn — and he then submitted, 
as he once before had done, to tlie authority of the 
Commissioners. His written resignation on this oc- 
casion is dated July 20, 1654. This was done, as the 
Commissioners allege — (see Lord Baltimore's Case un- 
cased, page 41) — under the authority from his High- 
ness, the Lord Protector. And now, on the 27th of 
the same month, the Commissioners appointed Capt. 
William Fuller, Mr. Richard Preston, Mr. William 
Durand, Mr. Edward Lloyd, Capt. John Smith, Mr. 
Leonard Strong, Mr. John Lawsou, Mr. John Hatch, 



OF ST. Ann's parish. 15 

Mr. Edward Wells and Mr. Richard Ewen to be Com- 
missioners for the well ordering, directing and gov- 
erning the affairs of Maryland, under his Highness^ 
the Lord Protector. 

Mr. Durand was appointed Secretary of the pro- 
vince, and Capt. John Smith, Sheriff for the year. — 
Messrs. Fuller, Durand, Lloyd, Strong, not to men- 
tion others, were "men of Severn." 

On the 20th of October, a General Assembly was 
held at Patuxent, at the house of Mr. Preston, by 
commission from his Highness, the Lord Protector. 
At this Assembly was made a declaration that every 
free subject of the commonwealth shall have liberty 
to petition against grievances, &c. An act concern- 
ing religion Avas also passed, which declared that 
such as profess faith in God by Jesus Christ, should 
be protected in tlie faith and exercise of their rt-ligion 
* *; provided such liberty was not extended to Popei-y 
and Prelacy ! Ann Arundel county was now again 
called Providence, and a new county was erected 
called Patuxent — afterwards named Calvert. Acts 
were passed concernini:j: drunkenness, sweariner, slan- 
dering and tale-bearing, the Sabbath day, tbeft, adul- 
tery and fornication — all showing that morals, as 
well as other things, w^ere held to be subjects for legis- 
lation, and that such legislation was called for. 



1G55. 

But passing on, in January of 1655, Gov. Stone 
received letters from Lord Baltimore, stating that his 
Highness, the Lord Protector, had neither taken away 
from him his patent or his charter, nor his land — but 
he said notliing about tlie restoration of his govern- 
ment. But as the statement is in the breviat of the 
proceedings of Lord Baltimore — see Hazzard, vol. 1, 



16 HISTORICAL NOTICES 

page 620, &c., — *'tlie Lord Baltimore doth blame 
him [Stone] for resigning up his government into the 
hands of the Lord Protector and Commonwealth of 
England, without striking one blow — taxing him in 
effect with cowardice." And a pamphlet of 1655 — 
* 'Maryland and Virginia" — says that in his letters 
''the Lord Baltimore gives particular command to 
seize the persons of the Commissioners [Bennett and 
CLaiborne ?] under his hand and seal, dated Novem- 
ber last, and for their service to the Lord Protector, 
to proceed against them as abettors in mutiny and 
sedition — chides and upbraids Capt. Stone for cow- 
ardice — provokes him to fighting and bloodshed — ap- 
points another Governor, in case he declines it, and 
yet sends no revocation of the Commissioners reduce- 
ment, though he acknowledges that he sought it 
earnestly, but could not obtain it." 

Thus taunted^ Governor Stone gathered about two 
hundred armed men, and twelve vessels of the bay 
craft order, and proceeded, part going by land and part 
by water, to bring the Providence men under the Lord 
Baltimore's government. They heard of his thus 
coming, and first of all betook themselves for help to 
God. "The people of Providence — says Strong in his 
narrative of this affair^ page 8 — perceiving such a 
tempest ready to fall on them, and all messages re^- 
jected, prepared for their coming, looking up and cry- 
ing to the Lord of Hosts and King of Kings for coun- 
sel, strength, and courage; being resolved in the 
strength ot God, to stand on their guard and demand 
an account of these proceedings, seeing no other reme- 
dy for so great a mischief ready to fall upon them/' 
Whatever of cant some may discover here, the lact 
itself stated is christian, and commends itself to the 
christian. 

Governor Stone, it appears, had hoped to find them 
unprepared for his coming, and to take them by sur- 



OF ST. Ann's parish. 17 

prise. Hence the messengers wliicli they sent him, he 
placed under arrest and detained them. But they 
had a hundred men under arms, and had hired an 
armed vessel, lying at the town, to help them. 

Governor Stone and his men at length appeared 
within the river Severn, and came within command 
of the armed vessel just at the shutting in of the even- 
ing. The Captain of that vessel was then required 
to command them aboard by a piece of ordnance, but 
they rejected the warning and run into the creek — 
the creek probably on the south side of the Severn — 
where they landed out of the reach of the ship's guns. 
But in the morning the}^ found all their vessels blocked 
up in the creek by a small barque, having two cannon. 
The same day — being Sunday, the 25th of March — 
the St. Mary's men appeared in a body on a narrow 
neck of land near their vessels, shouting, come on, 
which caused the Captain of the ship to fire on them, 
killing one man, and thus caused them to move further 
off into the neck. This, G. L. L. Davis, Esq. , who has 
most patiently and faithfully examined the localities, 
thinks was Horn Point. In the meantime, Captain 
Fuller, with his Providence men, came up the river 
Severn and landed with a hundred and twenty men, 
six miles distant from the enemy, and sending away 
all their sloops and boats, marched directly to where 
Governor Stone and his men lay waiting for them. 
On coming near, the sentry shot, but without harm. 
Capt. Fuller then set up the standard of the Com- 
monwealth of England. Against this five or six guns 
were fired — the ensign bearer, William Ay res, was 
killed. Capt. Fuller then gave the words "In the 
name of God fall on." The charge for the time, it 
is said, was fierce and sharp, but the St. Marians soon 
gave back, and threw down their arms. Of their 
whole number only four or five escaped. The Gov- 
ernor and his Council, all the officers and soldiers 
2* 



18 HISTORICAL NOTICES 

were taken, as was also their vessels, arms, ammuni- 
tion and provisions. Twenty of their men had been 
killed, of whom Mr. Secretary Hatton was one, and 
thirty were wounded, of which number was Governor 
Stone himself. Of the Providence men three only were 
killed on the field, and of the wounded three died af- 
terwards. This account is substantially confirmed 
by Mr. Langford, Lord Baltimore's friend, in a 
pamphlet published soon after. 

The postscript to Mr. Strong's account says, ^'Af- 
ter the battle, what acknowledgments of God in it 
was in every mean soldier's mouth, as well as in the 
Commander's — what praising of God beyond all ex- 
pression — they ran through all the company." The 
victory, however, was sadly stained by the Provi- 
ience men putting to death four of the St. Marians 
afterwards, under color of a court martial, Gov. Stone 
himself and nine others having been condemned by it 
to be shot, but by the solicitations of the females and 
of soldiers, the Governor and five others were spared. 

If, as alleged, the Lord Protector had confirmed the 
reducement of Maryland from under Lord Baltimore 
by the commissioners, then this was a war against 
liim, and the St. Mary's government was a rebellion 
against the government established. If, however, 
the St. Marians could conquer, their right to govern 
would be as good at least as was Cromwell's by 
which he held the government of England. 

Such were the scenes thus enacted in this early day 
Dn the soil of what is now St. Ann's Parish. The oc- 
:;upiers of it then contended for government even 
into blood, and, right or wrong, they were success- 
ul. The place where the battle was fought was long 
ifter called ^' The Papists' Pound." The government 
ivas now unquestionably in the hands of " the men of 
'>evern," and the scene of contention was no longer in 
the Province. But it was not ended. It was only 



OF ST. Ann's parish. 19 

transferred to England, and there the appeal was 
made to the supreme government, and Lord Balti- 
more was on the spot. 

1656. 

In 1656, Sept. 16, the Committee for Trade of 
Cromwell's Council of State, made a report, as 
wQ,s supposed by Lord Baltimore, favorable to him- 
self ; but as it never received any confirmation from 
the protector, it came to nothing. The matter, how- 
ever, did not sleep. Virginia agents had been sent to 
England — Bennet and Mathews. Mr. Digges also 
went over, and put forth his friendly endeavors. 
And now the old nobility coming into favor with 
Cromwell, he was paying them much court, and 
Lord Baltimore was one among them. The Vir- 
ginia agents therefore were under the necessity of 
making the best terms with him that they could, and 
an amicable arrano^ement was at length effected. 



1657. 

In this arrangement, from the 30th of November, 
1657, the colonists, who had been opposed to his 
Lordship's government in the Province, were bound 
up to cease for the future all further assumption of 
government in Maryland. They were, however, to 
have patents for their land, wliich they had entered, 
they taking a modified oath of fidelity, and paying 
all arrears for rent due to his Lordship from the time 
of entry of their land. While on his part. Lord Bal- 
timore was never to consent to repeal the act of re- 
ligion of 1649, by which they were protected in their 
religion. This agreement was signed by Lord Bal- 
timore and Matthews. The modified oath was in- 



20 HISTORICAL NOTICES 

deed objected to by the Puritan Government as to 
those tlien (March 24, 1658) resident, and the ob- 
jection was allowed. They then engaged to sub- 
mit to Lord Baltimore's government, according to 
the charter, aiding and assisting it, and not obeying 
or assisting any opposition to it. Thus for near 
eight years " the men of Severn" had had the whole 
Province under their own authority and manage- 
ment. But that state of things had now passed 
away, and on the 27th of April, at a General As- 
sembly held at St. Leonard's, Calvert County, the 
commissioners gave up the government into the 
hands of Feudal, his Lordship's then Governor. 

By an order of council Providence County was now 
again named Ann Arundel, and Patuxent County 
named Calvert. And alter tliis it was that the 
settlers of these parts took out their land patents or 
title deeds, and every thing soon settled down in a 
quiet course. 

It is not known that at this time there was any 
place of worship of any name within the boundaries 
of what became afterwards St. Ann's Parish, nor is 
it known that any other than Puritans were among 
the residents. There were the Lloyds, the Maccu- 
bins, the Ridgelys, the Griffiths, the Greenberrys, 
and Worthingtons, and others, nearly all of Welsh 
descent, Avhose names and descendants are still well 
known, and the lands of that region are still called 
after their names. Their place of worship it is be- 
lieved was at Town Neck, which was reached by 
water from almost every direction. 



1683. 

Time now passes on, and scarcely a word touching 
the history of the Puritans of Severn is found written, 



OF BT. Ann's parish. 21 

and no act of legislation mentions Ann Arundel 
County till 1683, a j)eriod of twenty -five years, 
during which time an almost entire generation had 
passed away. 

Meanwhile, in addition to the Counties of St. Mary's, 
Kent, Ann Arundel and Calvert, in 1658 Charles 
County had been constituted ; 1659 Baltimore County ; 
1661 Talbot County ; 1666 Somerset ; 1669 Dorches- 
ter; and 1674 Cecil County. But the increase of 
population had been slow, it being estimated at only 
about 25,000 in the province now\ 

The fii'st notice on tlie statute-book which we find 
touching the region now under our review, is in No- 
vember, 1683, when the Town at Proctors was made 
a Port of Entry. But in the records of All Hallows 
the Kev. Mr. Pead is mentioned as baptizing there 
in 1682 and in 1690. That he was a Church of 
Eu gland clergyman has been certainly ascertained, 
for on a further notice met with respecting him 
on the Journal of the Upper House of the Gene- 
ral Assembly of October 20, 1683^ there is found 
the following entry: "This House having taken 
into their serious consideration the great care and 
kindness of our Sovereign Lord the King in giv- 
ing charge to the Right Rev. Father in God the 
Bishop of London to supply this place with able and 
devout ministers, whereby the people may know their 
duty to God, their obedience to their rulers, do re- 
quest the Lower House of this Assembly to join with 
this House in giving thanks to Mr. Duell Pead for 
his learned sermon ])reached before these two Houses 
tlie 14th instant, and that some accex^table present be 
given him for the same." 

On the 24th the Lower House returned the follow- 
ing: "This House having taken into consideration 
the message sent from the Upper House Oct. 20th, 
concerning thanks and an acceptable present to Mr. 



22 HISTORICAL NOTICES 

Diiell Pead for preaching his learned sermon hefore 
the two Houses on the 14th instant, this House do 
concur with the Upper House that thanks be given 
unto him, the said Mr. Pead by Mr. Speaker for and 
in the name of the Lower House_, but cannot concur 
w^ith the Upper House in giving any present accord- 
ing to the aforesaid message." This Assembly was 
held at a place called '^the Ridge, in Ann Arundel 
County." This taken in connection with the bap- 
tisms referred to in All Hallows, that afterwards 
was, and the reference to the Bishop of London send- 
ing out ministers^ seem ])retty clearly to indicate 
tliat Mr. Pead was of the Church of England. And 
that there were tlius early in the neighborhood Church 
of England families, is unquestionable. Such we take 
to have been the Warfields, the Gassaways, the Nor- 
woods, the Elands, the Howards, the Dorseys, the 
Hammonds, &c. 

1689. 

In 1689 occurred what was called the Protestant 
Revolution in Maryland, in which Lord Baltimore's 
government ceased, and with it all Roman Catholic 
influence in the government administration, it having 
then passed into the hands of King William and 
Queen Mary, and by them was sent over Lyonel Cop- 
lev, Esq., who entered on his office as Governor 4 
April 9, 1692. 

1692. 

Tlie first General Assembly thereafter was held at 
St. Mary's on the 10th of May. At this assembly it* 
was that the Act was passed " for the Worship of Al- 
mighty God and the establishment of the Protestant 
Religion in the Province;" in other words, the 



OF ST. Ann's pakish. 23 

Church of England. It was under this act and 
during this year that thirty parishes were laid out 
and estahlished in the Province, one of which was 
Middle Neck Parish, now called St. Ann's. At this 
time there appears to have been only four Church of 
England clergymen in Maryland — Mr. Crawford in 
St. JVIary's, Mr. Moore in Charles, Mr. Lillingstone 
in Talbot, and Mr. Vanderbush in Cecil. Mr. Pead 
is not mentioned after 1691. There were, however, 
churches in Baltimore, Kent and Calvert Counties, 
though without ministers. 

There was at this time in this county a Mr. Davis, 
a Dissenting minister, and meeting-houses there cer- 
tainly were at West River and at Town Neck, that is 
Greenberry's Point ; and the latter was the place of 
worship for the surrounding neighborhood. There is 
still to be seen tlie place where the chapel and bury- 
ing-ground was, and where the dead continued to be 
buried for some years afterwards. Among the ruins 
is found still a massive slab with this inscription, 
copied by me on a visit there in company with the 
Rev. Mr. Nelson in May last: "Here lyes interred 
the body of Mr. Roger Newman, Mercliant, born at 
London, who dwelt at Patap... in Talbot in Mary- 
land .. 25 years, and departed this life the 14th of 
May, 1704." There also we saw the tomb-stone of 
Col. Nicholas Greenberry, so prominent in the re- 
cords of the Province, who died in 1698, and a vault 
(now broken in) wliere his remains and tliose of his 
family were no doubt deposited. It is now under the 
woodshed of Capt. Taylor, the present owner of the 
Neck. How Ions: this place of worship was kept up 
there have been discovered no records to show. Men- 
tion has been made of it here, though it is outside of 
the territorial limits of St. Ann's Parish, because it 
was without doubt the only place of worship tor the 
inhabitants of this refjrion at this date. 



24 HISTORICAL NOTICES 

The Act of Assembly of this year, before mentioned, 
required every taxable, of whatever name or sect, to 
pay to the incumbent of the parish 40 lbs. of tobacco 
per year. This was no doubt galling to the good 
Puritans included within this parish, but for aught 
that we learn they were quietly submissive, and bye- 
and-bye became all merged in the Church of Eng- 
land^ as by law established. How long they kept up 
their separate service of worship we have no means of 



ascertainmg. 



1694. 



In the returns made by the Yestry to the Grovernor 
and Council in July, 1694, we learn that there was 
neither a church edifice nor clergyman in the parish. 
As the Vestry Records of this period and for the 
ten following years are lost, whatever relates to the 
parish during that time has necessarily been picked 
up from other sources. 

In July of this year Francis Nicholson arrived as 
Governor of the Province, Governor Copley having 
died in 1693, and a General Assembly Avas convened 
at St. Mary's on the 21st September. On the 18th of 
October an act was passed making the town land at 
Severn in Ann Arundel County, where the town was 
formerly, (which was no doubt the town at Proctor's 
mentioned in 1683,) a town, port and place of trade. # 
and Major Hammond, Major Edward Dorsey, Mr. 
John Bennett, Mr. John Dorsey, Mr. Andrew Nor- 
wood, Mr. Philip Howard^ Mr. James Sanders and 
the Hon. Nicholas Greenberry, Esq.^ a member of the 
Council, were appointed to purchase and lay out 100 
acres of land in lots and streets, and with ope^ 
spare places to be left on which to erect a church, 
market-house, and other public buildings. The par- 
cel or neck of land within Levy Cove Neck and 



OF ST. Ann's parish. 25 

Acton's Cove^ adjoining the town, now known as 
Brewer's and Spa Coves, was directed to be fenced in 
as a town-common or pasture. 

By an Act ot* Assembly, Bacon, 1718, Chap. 8, 
we learn that three lots were originally laid out, one for 
tlie benefit and advantage of the rector, one other for 
the clerk of the parish and sexton, and a third for 
the commissary's clerk and the clerk of the vestry. 
A house was soon after built upon one of them for 
the use of the vestry. 

On the same day the Governor proposed to the 
Council that the 401bs. of tobacco per poll in Ann 
Arundel County not collected the last year, should 
go towards building a church in Ann Arundel Town, 
and also the tax the next year, and that it be paid to 
the Vestry for and towards building the said church. 
This was agreed to nemine contradicente. 

But the first thing done at this Session was an Act 
for the Advancement of Learning. The Act indeed 
we have not. But the Governor j)i"oposed to give 
£50 for the building of the scliool-house, and £25 per 
annum to the master. Sir Thomas Lawrence, Sec- 
retary, gave 5,000 lbs. towards the building, and 
2,000 lbs. tobacco per annum to the master. The 
House contributed 45,000 lbs. tobacco towards the 
building ; and of the Members of the Council, Cols, 
Jowles, Robotham, Greenberry and Brooke, 2,000 lbs. 
each; Hutchinson and Courts 1,200 lbs. each, and 
French, Brown and Frisby 1,000 lbs. each. Thomas 
Brooke £5 sterling towards the master's support, and 
Edmund Randolph £10 sterling. This certainly 
showed the earnestness and interest which they took 
in this work. 

The next Act passed was for settling Assemblies and 
Provincial Courts, and erecting a Court House at 
this, Ann Arundel Town ; and thus the seat of govern- 
ment, which for sixty years had been at St. Mary's City 
3 



26 HISTORICAL NOTICES 

in St. Mary's County was removed here, and here it 
still is, after the lapse and all the changes of one 
hundred and sixty years. 



1695. 

The first Session of the General Assembly con- 
Tened here the last day of February, 1695, the records 
had been already moved hither from St. Mary's. 

At another Session in May, the Port of Ann Arun- 
del Town was named and directed to be called An- 
napolis, and by no other name or distinction what- 
ever. The parish church was to be built here in 
such place as should be thought fit and convenient 
by the present Governor ; and the County Justices to 
hold the County Courts here, and the records of their 
court were to be removed and kept here. Where the 
County Courts had been held before is not ascer- 
tained. But fourteen years before, that is, in 1681, 
Sept. l^th, a petition was presented to the Governor 
and Council, setting forth that they had expended a 
great deal of tobacco for building a court-house. In 
November, 1683, we have seen that the General As- 
sembly held its session at a place called the Ridge in 
this county, and during this session the Governor, 
being moved by the House to nominate a place 
for the court [state] house, replied that when a con- 
veniency shall be provided in South River, in 
Ann Arundel County, sufiicient for the reception 
of his Lordship and Council, and for holding assem- 
blies and provincial courts, and the several courts 
thereon depending, his Lordship will make use there- 
of, &c. These things would seem to indicate that the 
earlier county courts were held at a place somewhere 
in the neighborhood of South River. 

The taxables of the parish at this time were 363 ; 



OF ST. Ann's parish. 27 

so tliat the population could not have been much over 
a thousand, and the incumbent's income not great! j 
over |400. 



REV. PEREaRINE CONEY, First Incumbent. 



Mr. Coney, it would seem, was one among the 
number of clergymen who came over to Maryland 
with Grovernor Nicholson in the sp/ing of the last 
year, IvOi, and became the incumbent of the Parish 
r^'at St. Mary's. This is shown from the Governor 
and Council's Records, August 29, 1698, No. 2, page 
129, where he complains that the ^larish was still in- 
debted to him. On the 24th of September, 1694, 
he preached a Fast day sermon before the General 
Assembly, then in session in St. Mary's, for which 
he received their j)ublic thanks and was desired to 
print it. 

On the 8th of October, the session of the Assembly 
had previously commenced on the 3rd, the Govern- 
or proposed to the Council that at the Port of An- 
napolis, a lot be laid off for the minister nigh to 
where the church is to stand, and that the minister 
be obliged to read prayers twice a day — that is, it is 
presumed before the assembly, for there was as yet 
no church built. This shows us that a minister was 
there — and that minister was Mr. Coney. 

On the 30th of April, 1696, the foundation of the 
State House was laid, and the session of the assembly 
commenced that same day. 

From Bacon, 1715, chapter 4, it appears that in 
1696, Gov. Nicholson gave a lot lying at the foot of 
the State House hill, on the eastward thereof, and 
£10 sterling, for a house to be built thereon. This 



28 HISTORICAL NOTICES 

was built by Anthony Workman, and given him 
during iH^life, after which it was to go to the use of 
the free schools. 

On the 7th of May, it appears from the records of 
the Upper House, that Mr. Coney preached before the 
Assembly, and this sermon also he was desired to 
have printed. 

An act was passed at this session — Bacon, 1696, 
chapter 2d, requiring of the several A^estries a copy of 
their proceedings to be laid before the Governor and 
Council yearly. With this the Vestry of St. Ann's 
complied. And.it is in the returns now made, that 
we tind a confirmation of the boundaries of the Pa- 
rish before given. The name Middle Neck was still 
returned, and the taxables stated at 374. The 
names of the Vestry as given were, 

Thomas Bland, Jacob Harness, 

Eichard Warfield, William Brown, 

Lawrence Draper^ Cornelius Howard. 

In July, an act was passed for the establishment of 
free schools, on which a school was founded at Anna- 
polis by the name of King W^illiam's school — for the 
propagation of the Gospel, and the education of the 
youth of the province in good letters and manners, 
including Latin, Greek, writing and the like, under 
the patronage of the King and chancellorship of the 
Archbishop of Canterbury. It was to be managed 
by certain trustees therein named, one of which was 
the Rev. Peregrine Coney. And thus was carried out 
so much further, the object which called forth the do- 
nations already mentioned in 1694. 

And on the 30th of September, the Lower House 
sent to the Upper the following message, ''To show 
our readiness to contribute to the utmost of our 
abilities to the service of God, in building a free 



OF ST. Ann's parish. 29 

church and school at Annapolis, we have propoeei 
and resolved, that out of the revenue raised for the 
charge of the Province, hy 3d. per lihd. on Tobacco, 
one year's revenue so raised be for defraying the 
charge of the church at Annapolis, and that out of 
£oOU sterling to be returned to this province by Sir 
Edmund Andros, £200 we are desirous should be ap- 
pro})riated to the use of the free school. An act of 
Assembly to this purpose accordingly was passed — 
Bacon, 1696, chapter 25. 

The Lower House, preparatory to passing this act, 
appointed a committee to inspect the proposals for 
building the church; who reported that there was in 
bank for this purpose £458 sterling. This had arisen 
from the sale of the Tobacco which had been collect- 
ed. They also reported that the church would cost 
£1200 sterling, or about $5600. Thus not only was 
the State-house going up and the school-house also, 
but on the 2d of October, the Governor was appointed 
by the Council to employ workmen to build the 
church. 

Mr. Alexander Gaddes had been sent out by the 
Bishop of London, to take charge of the King Wil- 
liam's school, but the House not being built, the As- 
sembly voted him 10,000 lbs. of tobacco, and he was 
appointed lay reader in All Saint's Parish, Calvert; 
but not long after, he was placed out as an under- 
master to the college-school in Virginia, [at Williams- 
burgh], to save a present charge, and to gain himself 
the more experience ae:ainst the school-house here is 
built. 

In 1697 the State House as is shown in the pream- 
ble to an act passed on the 11th of June, — Bacon, 
chapter 6, was almost finished and completed. The 
State House was a brick building of two stories, with 
an attic having large front and back porches of the 
same height with the main building; on the ground 
3* 



30 HISTORICAL NOTICES 

floor, there was a great room for courts and assemblies, 
and a little room which served as a magazine for 
every thing but powder. In the second story, the two 
rooms on the right hand were for jury and committee 
rooms, and the two on the left hand for provincial 
and land records. Tlie room in the fore porch was 
appropriated for the Commissioner's office, and Re- 
cord of Wills, &c. Of the two rooms on the right 
hand in the upper lofts, one was for the County-Clerk, 
and the other for the Town-Clerk; on the left hand, 
one was for the Chancery records, and the other for 
the records of the Government and Council, &c. The 
back porch loft was appropriated for the Clerk of the 
house of Delegates, and the front porch loft was the 
Commissaries' office, from which a lantern was hung 
out. See Bacon, Chapter 6^ 1T97. It stood on the 
site of the present State House. [See opposite page.] 

We learn from Eidgeley's Annals of Annapolis, 
page 107, that the memorable Academy of King Wil- 
liam (which was of brick), was a plain building, con- 
taining school-rooms and apartments for the teacher 
and his family, and stood on the South side of the 
State House. On the 30th of this same month, the 
petition of Ruth G-regg's was read before the Govern- 
or and Council, together with the Rev. Peregrine 
Coney's defence, which was ordered to be given to 
Mr. Carrol the said Ruth's procurator. The nature 
of the petition is not stated. 

Mr. Coney seems to have enjoyed the entire confi- 
dence of Governor Nicholson, and he committed to 
liim the issuing of marriage licenses. 

He is shown in the Governor and Councils records, 
to have been here as late as September 1, 1698, and 
probably continued here till the November following, 
and then went to Virginia with Sir Francis Nichol- 
son, when he entered on his appointment as Govern- 
or of Virginia, and in 1703 we learn from the let- 



OF ST. ANN S PARISH. 



31 





•^ack Porch. 




Great Room 

for 

Courts & Assemblies 


Little 
Room. 

Magazine 
for every 
thing but 
|iow"(ler. 




i 

1 Front Porch 





Ground Floor. 









Provincial 
and 




Jury and 


Land 
Records 


Com'ittee 
Rooms. 




Commiss'r's 
Office & Re- 
cord of wills 





Second Storr, 





Clerk of the 
House of 
Delegates. 




I 

Chancery 
Records. 




Countv 

Clerk's 

Office, &c. 


Records of 
Governor 

and 
Council. 


Town 
Clerk's 
Office. 




Com'ssary's 
Office. 





Loft. 



32 HISTORICAL NOTICES 

ters published in tlie Churcli Keview, vol. 3, page 
452,^ that he was then the Governor's chaplain, who 
was at that time a resident of Williamshurgh. 

Mr. Coney was evidently a favorite with the Gov- 
ernor, and the fact that his sermons were so often re- 
quested to be published by the assembly, shows him 
to have been a ])opular and acceptable ])reacher. 

Governor Nicholson, during his administration, 
had made enemies by his impulsive and hasty tem- 
])er, under the influence of which he was at times ar- 
bitrary and overbearing. But he must ever be proud- 
ly remembered by the church and city of Annapolis. 
The site ichere the church stands Avas selected by him, 
and he was the agent in building it. The plan of 
tlie city was his, and the State House and free school 
went up under his superintendency. His time, and 
money, and energy, were given to the church not less 
than to the government. And when he was about 
to leave, a. letter which was signed by the chancellor, 
by the members of the Council, by the Justices of the 
Provincial Court, by thirty-four members of tho 
house of Delegates, and by the Grand Jury, was 
handed him in which they say, 

'•That your conduct over us in this place, your 
great care and study has been, to promote the prac- 
tice of piety and worship of Almighty God, by erect- 
ing churches, schools, and nurseries of learning, both 
for reforming manners and education of youth, Avhere- 
in you have been, not only a large contributor, but an 
intelligent promoter, together with your integrity of 
maintaining his Majesty's honor and authority in 
this province, your care in providing arms, and mil- 
itary discipline of it ; your regulating and happy set- 
tlement of the civil constitution, both as to the courts 
of justice, and in bringing us out of debt, which the 
public was in, into a condition clear of debt and 
money in bank ; by your pronxotion of good laws to 



OF ST. Ann's parish. 33 

such purposes, your great care to cause speedy jus- 
tice to be administered to all persons, your pious and 
just, your noble and benevolent carriage in all things, 
deserve better pens than ours, and would take up 
more paper than this to recount. Be pleased there- 
fore, honorable Sir, to accept our humble acknow- 
ledgements for the same, as the just though slender 
tribute of an obliged people to a generous, good gov- 
ernor, praying God to bless you in aZ^your pious and 
noble undertakings with happiness and success, so 
pray your humble and obliged servants." Signed 
as above stated. 

Oldmixon, in his history of Maryland, Vol. 1, page 
195, edition of 1708, has an extract from a letter from 
the Rev. Hugh Jones, then Rector of Christ Church, 
Calvert, written about the year 1G99, in which he 
says, ^'Governor Nicholson has done his endeavors to 
make a town of Annapolis. There are about 49 dwel- 
ling houses in it, seven or eight of which can afford 
a good lodging, and entertainment for strangers. 
There are also a State House and a free school built 
with brick, which make a great show among a par- 
cel of wooden houses, and tlie foundation of a church 
is laid, the only brick church in Maryland." In this 
last statement the writer was mistaken no doubt, 
(for there was one it is believed in St. Paul's parish, 
in Baltimore County, which then was quite an out of 
the way parish). , > ^ ^ -[^-.^ 

REV. EDWARD TOPP, Second Incumbent. 



Governor Nicholson was succeeded by Nathaniel 
Blackistone, Esq. 

The progress of building the church was slow ; an 



(■'■ 



34 HISTORICAL NOTICES 

Act of the Assembly of July 22, shows us that a fine 
was imposed on Edward Dorsey of £333. 6. 8. to the 
king, for not fulfilling his agreement to build the 
church; and at the same time, another Act appointed 
])ersons to treat with workmen to build it. Up to 
this time therefore, there was no house of public wor- 
ship in the town, and the General Assembly seem to 
have been far more active and interested in getting 
one up, than were the vestry; nor is this to be won- 
dered at, the number of Churchmen was not many, 
and the puritan place of worship was near by, which 
no doubt concentrated the hereditary sympathies of 
the neighborhood. 

At what time precisely Mr. Topp became the in- 
cumbent here cannot be ascertained, but in the min- 
isterial records of the paiish, we find that he baptized 
a child five wrecks old of Mr. Kendrick's, November 
5, 1699, so that he certainly was here somewhat pre- 
vious to this date, and the record thus made, styles 
liim Rector. 

At the visitation of Dr. Bray, the Bishop of Lon- 
don's commissary for Maryland, held at Annapolis 
the 23rd of May, 1700, at which Avere present sev- 
enteen clergymen, Mr. Topp's name appears as one 
of those in attendance, as "Rector of Annapolis in 
Ann Arundel County." 

But how long Mr. Topp remained here we do not 
learn. On the 1st of July, 1703, the Rev. George 
Keith, an itinerant missionary of the society for the 
Propagation of the Gospel was here, and in his jour- 
nal of this date, he says, "^we came to Annapolis in 
Maryland, where we were kindly entertained by Es- 
quire Finch, then President of Maryland, (Governor 
Blackistone had gone to England about the close of 
1701, and his successor had not yet arrived,) and Sir 
Thomas Lawrence the secretary there. July 4th, 
Sunday, I preached at Annapolis on 1st Thessaloni- 



OP ST. Ann's parish. 35 

ans, 1, 5, (^^for our gospel came not unto you in word 
only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and 
in much assurance, as ye know what manner of men 
we were among you for your sake,") and had a large 
auditory well affected. My sermon at the request of 
a worthy person who heard it, was printed at Annapo- 
lis, mostly at his charge ; and copies of it sent by him 
to many parts of the country." We find no men- 
tion of an incumbent here, probahly the parish was 
at this time vacant^ though by no means certain. 
This Journal has been republished in the collec- 
tions of the Protestant Episcopal Historical Society, 
1851. 



REV. JAMES WOOTTON, Third Incumbent, 



With this year 1704, commence the existing re- 
cords of the proceedings of the vestry. The volume 
has been rebound and is in good order, thougli the 
leaves have been much misplaced in reminding — the 
records as a whole were very del'ectively kept. There 
is also a small quarto volume commencing with the 
year 1767, where the old folio volume ends. 

On a fragment of page 13, stand the following en- 
tries — April 4, 1704: — 

Present the 

Rev. James Wootton, 

Col. John Hammond, Mr. Amos Garrett, 

Mr. William Bladen, Mr. John Freeman, 

Mr. William Taylard, Mr. Samuel Norwood, 

— vestry men : when it was ordered, that Mr. Garrett 

should pay Obadiah Hollingshead and Philemon 

Smith, Carpenters, the sum of £4. 10s. for altering 



36 HISTORICAL NOTICES 

the gallery seats, — and 9s. they had received before 
in part. 

Their charge was, to 9 days work each, at 4s. 6d. 
per day, £4.01.0. 

To accomodations Is. per day each, 18.0. 



£4.19.0. 



Short as this entry is, we are shown by it that Mr. 
Wootton Avas now the Rector of the Parish, but how 
long he had been, there is nothing to tell; we see also 
who the vestry were, that the church had been 
built, and that it had a gallery, and had now been al- 
tered ; incidentally, too, we have the price then per day 
of carpenters labor, it being about 4s. 6d., or 65 cents 
per day, and that board was about 87 cents per 
week. 

At this time the pews had been made, and we find 
some who occupied them mentioned, they being own- 
ers ; for instance, William Hammond, Charles Kil- 
burn, Jacob Harness, Samuel Dorsey, Henry Pink- 
ney, Charles Ridgely, Thomas Macnemara, Thomas 
Hollings and Robert Lusby, who had No. 19 on the 
right hand, going in at the front door. 

In August, was another meeting at which the same 
vestry men before mentioned were present, they be- 
ing the whole number, the vestry law then required 
bat six. It was now ordered, that Mr. Garrett, who 
seems to have been the vestry's Treasurer, should pay 
William Gwynn the smith, the sum of £1. 4. 6. for 
making and setting the vane of the belfry, and thus 
we learn that the church had these things, and we 
are further shown that Andrew Whelpley had been 
paid for making the belfrey, £38. 

On the 4th of October, the State House was con- 
sumed by fire, which must evidently have begun in 
the loft where the County Clerk's office was, as the 



OF ST. Ann's parish. 37 

main loss of Records appears to have been tliose be- 
longing to that office ; early in December, the assem- 
bly passed an act for rebuilding it. 

At a vestry meeting, December 4, it was ordered 
that Benjamin Fordham be paid his account £3. 2s., 
for his charges about the bell wheel, and thus Ave are 
shown that the church had a bell as well as a belfry 
and spire. 

In 1705, mention is made of the church plate ; the 
taxables now were only 363, there had been no in- 
crease therefore for ten years. 

In 1706^ a golden ball is mentioned as being on the 
spindle or spire of the church, and the taxables are 
put down at 414. 

The new State House was finished this year, as we 
learn from Mr. Ridgely. It was rebuilt upon the old 
walls, and in the same form and manner as before. 
In 1840, he tells us, that it was recollected by some 
few then living in the city, as a neat and spacious 
brick building, being an oblong square, entered by a 
hall, opposite to thedoor was the judges' seat, and on 
each side were rooms for the juries ; over the judges' 
seat, was a full length portrait of Queen Anne pre- 
senting a printed charter of the city of Annapolis. 
A handsome cupola surmounted the building, sur- 
rounded with balustrades, with seats for those who 
wished to enjoy a view of the beautiful surrounding 
scenery. 

About the same period, an armory was built near 
and on the north side of the State House, here the 
Governor and Council held their sessions. It is now 
used as the Treasurer's office. 

During this year, the Lower House of Assembly di-. 
rected that of the three lots originally laid out with- 
in the city, one should be for the Rector of the Pa- 
rish, one for the sexton, and a third for the clerk of 
the vestrvand commissarv's clerk. 
4 



38 HISTORICAL NOTICES 

In 1707 the taxaWes amounted to 440. Mr. An- 
drew Whelpley was ordered by the vestry, February 
7th, to take into his care and custody as cliurch war- 
den, the communion plate, marked with King Wil- 
liam's arms, to wit, 2 chalices, 1 cup, 1 Large plate 
and 2 pattens, together with 1 table cloth and 2 
napkins; and on the 3d of June, it was ordered that 
John Miller sexton, cut up all the bushes in the 
church yard. It was at this time inclosed by a ditch. 

It appears March 30, 1708^ that Gen. John Ham- 
mond, who married Ann the second daughter of Col. 
Nicholas Greenbury, had left the church, to aid in 
paying its debt, £10 at his death. The following 
subscriptions were also added, His Ex'y, John Sey- 
mour, £l.ls.Gd., S. Young, Esq., Maj. Wilson, Wm. 
F)laden, Esq., Mr. Amos Garrett, Col. John Contec, 
Mr. Secretary Lloyd, Mr. Anthony Ruley, Maj. John 
Freeman, and Wormal Hunt Esq., 10s. each, and Mo- 
ses Adney 5s. making in all £5.16.6. The church debt 
could not of course have been large, for it seems Gen. 
Hammond's legacy was otherwise appropriated, it 
being at this time ordered by his Excellency the Gov- 
ernor, that the donation of Maj. Gen. Hammond be 
employed towards purchasing a large church Bible 
of the best sort extant, and a large common prayer 
book, of the best impression on imperial paper, with 
gilt leaves, &c., likewise on the frontispiece of both 
books there be this ins.cription, namely_, 

The Gift of 

Maj. Gen. John Hammond 

To St. Ann's Church 

in Annapolis, 

who deceased the 24th day of November, Anno 

Domini 1707. 



OF ST. Ann's parish. 39 

On the IGtli of August, Annapolis received its cliar- 
t-cr from Governor iSeymour, by which it became a 
city, with its usual municipal privileges, and had con- 
ferred upon it the right of sending two delegates to 
the Greneral Assembly, Avhich it continued to do till 
1840, when that light was taken away under the new 
Constitution of 1836. 

On the 7th of September, the v^estry ordered thatR. 
Beckerdick level the oyster shells even with the 
ground-sill of the church descending therefrom, and 
provision was made for paving the church piazza and 
passage. The taxables as returned, were 441 in the 
parish. 

A satire was published in London at this time by 
Eden Cook agent_, which thus speaks of the city of 
Annajjolis, as 

A city situate on a plain, 
Where scarce a liouse will keep out rain, 
The buildings framed with cypress rare 
Resemble much our Soutliwark lair, 
But strangers there will scarcely meet 
With market jilace, exchange or street. 
St. Mary's once was in repute, 
Now, here the judges try the suit, 
And lawyers twice a year dispute, 
As oft the bench most gravely meet, 
Some to get drunk, and some to eat, 
A swinging share of country treat. 
But as for justice, right, or w^rong, 
Not one among the numerous throng 
Knows what it means. 

It is as a satire that this must be received, of course, 
and not as literal truth. 

On tlie 17th of December, an act was passed by the 
General Assembly confirming and explaining the 
charter. The taxables were 430, in 1710, being an 
increase in 15 years of only 67. ' 

On the 10th of February, 1710, 40s. were ordered 
to be paid for every corpse buried in the church yard, 



40 HISTORICAL NOTICES 

a bier was to be provided, and the church gate to be 
painted. The offerings at the communion were col- 
lected in ^'little boxes." 

Mr. Wootton was present in the vestry for the last 
time, April 19, 1710. He died probably on the 8th 
of June following, but his funeral services were not 
performed till the 5th of August. 

Up to the time when he became the rector of the 
parish, there had been no increase of the popula- 
tion, and in the six years of his incumbency, it could 
not have increased much more than 100, so that at 
his death, the amount of his support could not have 
exceeded $450. 



KEY. JOSEPH COLBATCH. 

Mr. Colbatch was the Eector of All Hallows Parish, 
South River, and had been since 1695, the first no- 
tice which we find of his officiating here, is June 13, 
1710, when it was ordered, that notice be given to 
Mr. David Macklefresh to set over (the South River 
ferry) the Rev. Mr. Colbatch on Sabbath days, in or- 
der to preach in this parish. He continued to officiate 
here part of his time till the 8th of April, 1711^, and 
on the first of May of that year, he was allowed one 
half of the 40 per poll, or in that proportion, from 
the 8th of June, 1710, to the 8th of April following^ 
or longer, if he had officiated longer ; this shows that 
he had officiated here only half his time. He was 
never inducted into the parish as rector_, but officia- 
ted simply till one could be had. 

Mr. Colbatch continued in his incumbency of All 
Hallows till his death, which tookplace in 1734 Jiaving 
been the rector there near 40 vears. He was a minister of 



OF ST. Ann's parish. 41 

high standing in the colonial church in his day so held 
both here and in England. In 1727, the Bishop of Lon- 
den wrote to him inviting him to come to London, in 
order to receire consecration as his suffragan for Ma- 
ryland, hut the government of Lord Baltimore, and 
he as well as his government, was now protestant, 
forbid by a writ, ne exeat his leaving the province. 
And thus a protestant government of the church of 
England itself prevented Maryland from having the 
Episcopate here. See Dr. Hawk's Maryland, page 196. 



REV. EDWARD BUTLER, Fourth Incumbent. 



Mr, Butler had been in the city some time, and 
was probably the master of the school ; so far 
back as October 30th 1710, we find this entry; the 
vestry taking into consideration the great calamity, 
(and was not their condition rightly estimated of this 
parish for want of a minister?) and there being in 
town one Mr. Edward Butler, and who is destitute 
of a parish,, it is thought proper to petition the Hon. 
President (of the council) that the said Mr. Butler 
may be appointed minister of this parish, and it was 
so ordered. 

Accordingly on the 14th of April, 1711, Mr. But- 
ler was appointed by Edward Lloyd, Esq., President 
of the Council, and acting Governor, to officiate till 
the arrival of his Majesty's Governor; the vestry 
then accepted him, and he was inducted into the 
rectorship on the 16th. 

At this time, the fee for burying in the church yard 
had been fixed at £2.10; and the taxables were re- 
ported to be 426, being less than what had been giv- 
en in before. 

4* 



42 HISTORICAL NOTICES 

John Hart, Esq., the new Governor^ not arriving 
as was expected, at length Mr. Butler ohtained from 
the President, Mr. Lloyd, a regular appointment as 
incumbent of the parish, and accordingly on the 14th 
of March, 1713, he presented to the vestry his letter 
of induction dated March 7th, being recommended by 
the Bishop of London. This appointment from 
Mr. Lloyd speaks well for Mr. Butler, as he had 
now become well known in the community. Indeed 
it does not seem so far, that St. Ann's had been af- 
flicted with a different character. In the midst of a 
community, originally so tlioroughly puritan and not 
yet emancipated from educational habits, it would 
have been worse than suicidal to have had the minis- 
trations of such an one. 

It appears that hitherto, Mr. Butler had himself 
kept the communion furniture, for on the 14th of 
March it is stated that he then gave them in charge 
to the church warden. The account at that time 
rendered for wine used at the communion was eleven 
bottles at 4s. each ; — this was probably for the 
year, as the custom was to have the Lord's Supper 
monthly. 

From this time we find nothing to note, till we meet 
with the following statement in the ministerial re- 
cords, ''died November 9, 1713, Rev. Edward Butler, 
Rector of St. Ann's, and master of the free schools, 
Annapolis." 



REY. JACOB HENDERSON, Fifth Incumbent. 



Mr. Henderson was at this time, the incumbent of 
Queen Anne's Parish, Prince George's County. He had 
been licensed for the colonies by the Bishop of Lon- 



OF ST. Ann's parish. 43 

don, June 5, 1710, and was sent over by the society 
for the propagation of the Gospel to Dover, Kent 
County, Delaware. Having continued there somewhat 
perhaps more than a year, he was transferred to Queen 
Anne's, which was then a frontier parish, not long 
formed, with an appropriation for his support. He was 
the only missionary on the Western Shore it is believ- 
ed, who was ever sent by the society to Maryland. 

On the 4th of December, it is thus noted on the re- 
cord, the vestry having made application to the Rev. 
Mr. Henderson, now in this time of vacancy and hav- 
ing assured him of their utmost endeavors to procure 
for him the dues to such services, and the utmost of 
what the law will allow, do hereby resolve, that the 
full 40 per poll be allowed him from this time, in pro- 
portion to the time of service, if the same shall be ap- 
proved by the President and Council as legal . On this 
proposal he promised his services. All indeed that 
was required to make it legal, was the consent of tlie 
vestry of Queen Anne's, for according to the act of es- 
tablishment, no one could be rector of two parishes 
but with the consent of both vestries, this of course 
was obtained, and it might have been felt necessary in 
his Parish in Prince Cleorge's as the society's help 
was continued there but for one year. Accordingly 
on application, he was presented to the Parish of St. 
Ann's, February 13, 1714, by letters from Edward 
Lloyd. Governor Hart of course was at that time 
absent. 

The Rev. Henry Hall, Rector of St. James's Parish, 
West River, had been in 1707, appointed the Bishop 
of London's commissary in the Province, but we do 
not hear anything of his doin^^s as such, and on 
Bishop Compton's death 1713, his commission expir- 
ed. But there being a necessity. Governor Hart who 
hadreturned just before, called together the clergy of 
the Province to meet him and each other at Annapolis. 



44 HISTORICAL NOTICES 

They met, as we learn from Dr. Hawks, in June. It 
is stated, that there were 21 clergymen then present. 
It is probable that there were not more than four 
or five absent. 

It appears that Mr. Henderson continued his ser- 
vices here only to December 4, 1714, one year ; two 
3^ears after this, he was appointed by the Bishop of 
London his commissary for the Western Shore, this, 
except during a short interval, he held till his death 
in 1751. He was for many years a member of the 
corporation of the society for the Propagation of 
the Gospel, and left it a legacy of upwards of $5,000. 
His popularity in Annapolis is shown in the fact, that 
the vestry gave him the whole of the 40 per poll, 
while to the excellent Mr. Colbatch they had given 
but one half of it for the same services ; Dr. Hawks 
has spoken very fully of him as a pious, energetic and 
able man. The taxables of the Parish were now 430, 
showing still, the almost stationary numbers of the 
population in it. 



EEY. SAMUEL SKIPPON, Sixth IncumbexXT. 



Mr. Skippon presented his letters of Induction to 
the vestry from Governor Hart, December 4th, 1714, 
but there is nothing calling for particular notice from 
us for some time, every thing having fallen into a 
uniform train, and so matters went on. 

Queen Anne having died this year, George the I. 
ascended the throne of England. With the prospect 
thus, of the permanent and entire influence on the 
government of Protestantism, Benedict Leonard Cal- 
vert, the fourth Lord Baltimore, embraced the doctrines 
of the established Church of England and so educa- 



OF ST. ANN'S PARISH. 45 

ted his children; but lie dying soon after, his title 
and possessions then descended to his son Charles. The 
Calverts thus having become, as they afterwards con- 
tinued to be, protestants, all pretext for withholding 
from him the government of the Province ceased. 
It was now, May, 1715, restored to him, and Mr. Hart 
was continued by him as Governor. 

But to return to the affairs of the parish, this year 
1716, a vestry room was built for the church, and 
the taxables had increased to 497, being an increase 
of 67 in two years. 

On the 25th of March, Mr. Skippon met with a se- 
vere affliction, in the loss of his daughter Sacharissa, 
but at what age she died the record does not state. 

In 1717, on the 4th of June, it was agreed by the 
vestry to petition the General Assembly, for whom, 
during its sessions it seems certain pews in the church 
had been always reserved, for leave to put locks on 
them and dispose of them to such as should be will- 
ing to purchase them, witli the right of reservation 
to the said Assembly at all public times. The popula- 
tion and the congregation were increasing and this 
measure was resorted to to meet the w^ant thus crea- 
ted, and at the same time to add something to the 
Hector's support. The taxables were now 504 being 
[in increase of 140 in twenty years, more than one 
lialf of which had been in the last three years. The 
population of the parish at this time was about 1500, 
yet so small w^as the tax that was imposed for the sup- 
port of tlie incumbent, and such had been the reduction 
in the value of tobacco, that he received not over §350. 

As showing somewhat the price of making such 
vestments at this time, it may be mentioned here, that 
the making of a surplice cost about $4. 

The following document under date of May 5th, 
1719, shows us something of the state of the parish at 
that time, and will well repay an attentive perusal. 



46 HISTORICAL NOTICES 

To the Honorable, the Lower House of Assembly. 
The remonstrance and address of the vestrymen and 
church wardens of 8t. Ann's parish at Acnapolis, iu 
behalf of themselves and others of the parishioners, 
freeholders in said parish. 

May it please your Honors — We the vestrymen and 
church wardens of St. Ann's Church at Annapolis, in 
behalf of themselves and the rest of the parishioners, 
freeholders in this parish, beg leave to lay before your 
honorable house, a statement of such difficulties as 
at present we labor under. 

And here we would first observe to your honors, 
that the parish chui'ch, by being built near the utmost 
verge of the paiish, is thereby rendered very inconve- 
nient to a great part of the parishioners, some of 
these living twenty miles, and others at a greater dis- 
tance from it, so that w^ere it not that the reetor vol- 
untarily goes up at appointed times and preaches 
among them, a great part of them would be w^ithout 
the benefits of a minister, that to add to this difficul- 
ty the church is much too little for a parish cburch, 
many of tlie parishioners being obliged to stay at 
home for want of room, but that this is most visible 
at public times, as we humbly conceive is apparent to 
the constant experience of this Honorable House, that 
there is no visible way to remove the first of these diffi- 
culties, but by contracting the parish into narrower 
bounds or dividing it, nor is there any means to re- 
move the latter^ but by enlarging the church, but that 
both these are rendered impracticable to us, by some 
other difficulties which w^e shall take the liberty of 
naming to your honors. 

As to the contracting or dividing the parish in or- 
der to remove tlie first difficulty, we humbly conceive, 
that it is attended with greater difficulties than what 
would be removed thereby. We beg leave to observe 
to your honors, that the benefits of this parish are al- 



OF ST. Ann's parish. 47 

ready so small, that it is but a bare support for a sin- 
gle man in a private parish, and that without further 
addition it is in no wa}^ sufficient to support a cler- 
gyman with a family, who by bein<^ obliged to re- 
side at the seat of government and bearing the char- 
acter of Chaplain to the public, is unavoidably ex- 
posed to much greater expense than the benefits of 
the parish can defray. We take the liberty to add, 
that the small benefits of this ])arish and the great 
3xpense above mentioned, have often been the occasion 
that this parish has been without a minister, no man 
being willing to stay in a place wdiere he is necessi- 
tated to run in debt by serving the parish and at- 
tending on the public, and that whenever an oppor- 
tunity offers of bettering himself, a clergyman ^vill 
be obliged by his necessities to embrace it, which as 
we find, has been the case formerly, so we know of 
no way of preventing it for the future. 

As to enlarging the church, whereby the other dif- 
ficulty may be removed, we beg leave to assure your 
honors that were our abilities equal to our inclina- 
tions, w^e should be ready to remove it ourselves with- 
out giving any trouble to this honorable house, but 
tlie constant expense we have been obliged to be at, 
to keep the church, church yard and belfry in repair 
has wholly rendered us impossible to do anything 
in that matter, and we believe that this will be the 
sense of your honors, wdien you shall find by compu- 
tation ot the charges we have been at, which we are 
ready to offer, what sums of money and tobacco have 
been raised and expended already on that account. 
We therefore pray your honors to take these things 
into your consideration, and to make such provision, 
as in your w^isdom shall be judged sufficient, to an- 
swer the necessity of the parish, and to maintain the 
honor of the public in the respects above mention- 
ed. 



48 HISTORICAL NOTICES 

Peter Overard, John Beall, 

Kichard Brickies, John G-resliam, 

Cliurch Wardens. Benj. Tasker, 

Thomas Bordlej, 
Vestrymen. 

Such was the address thus presented, but it does 
not a2:>pear to have produced any result. We are 
shown however here, that the rectors of that day, did 
not confine their labors to the pulpits and desks of 
their parish churches, but that tliey visited and held 
services in the remote parts of their parish at private 
houses, and it was on these occasions only that many 
had an opportunity for the baptism of their children. 
One iamily indeed in the upper part of the parish it 
is known, living near thirty miles from Annapolis 
and devoted to the church, when they would attend 
services on the Sabbath had to come into the neigh- 
borhood on the Saturdayp receding. The rectorship 
of a parish thus was then no sinecure to a f\iithful 
clergymen, and the church was by no means without 
such. There was in this parish at that time, as is the 
fact in many parishes still in Maryland, much work 
called for from the minister, and but little pay given 
him. 

The benefits which this address speaks of as accru- 
ing to the clergyman, rector of the parish, was the 
tobacco tax imposed on the parishioners for his sup- 
port. In the year following this date, the taxables 
returned numbered 514, this would give the amount 
of tobacco raised by their assessment to be 2 0,5 60, which 
if all paid to the rector, would be but $342,66; but 
it was not. 1000 lbs. of this tobacco was by law paid 
to the clerk of the vestry, and besides this, some of 
the tax payers were always returned non est inventus, 
some paid in trashy tobacco of little real value, and 
in these and other ways the amount was always ma- 



OP ST. Ann's parish. 49 

terially reduced which the incumbent actually received. 

The address speaks too of the parish being often 
without a minister, because of the small benefits, &c. 
Mr. Skippon was the sixth Kector in a parish not yet 
twenty-seven years old. During its first three years 
it had none, and do we wonder that the three clergy- 
men who did not die in it, did not continue it ? And 
yet more popular clergymen than Mr. Coney or Mr. 
Henderson, probably were not to be found in the Pro- 
vince, but we shall see more of these changes here- 
after. 

From an entry in the vestry's records of Novem- 
ber, 1721, we learn that the communion as before 
stated was administered monthly, and in another of 
December 6^, the Register and school master M. Pi- 
per is mentioned, and also the charity boys, by which 
we are shown that the Parish had then a charity 
school. 

April 9, 1722, on motion of the Rev. Mr. Skippon 
to repair the tw^o small parsonage houses fit for him 
to live in, the cost of such repairs was ordered to be 
ascertained. 

On the 7th of May, 1723, Alexander Frazier, Rob- 
ert Gordon, Thomas Worthington, Vachel Denton, 
Joshua George and William, received permission to 
build a gallery at the west end of the church at their 
own expense^ and thus what the vestry had not felt 
themselves able to do and the General Assembly 
would not, was accomplished by private liberality, and 
more accommodations were in this way provided. It 
appears that Mr. Skippon was now clerk of the Ujv 
per House of Assembly. This of course added some- 
thing to his support, which no doubt was needed^ 
though the taxables o-f this year were reported to be 
G6o giving him somewhat more than $400. 

On the 5th of August, 1724, Mr. Skippon appears 
in his place at a meeting of the vestry fur the last 



50 HISTORICAL NOTICES 

time, and lie is recorded to have died December 8, 
1724. His widow, Dorothy, survived him, but wheth- 
er he left any chiklren is no where stated. Though 
struggling Avith the difficulties of a small support, he 
seems, judging irom the records, to^have been a faith- 
ful and industrious minister, and the church to have 
prospered under his labors. 

In the following year on the 19th of January, the 
Rev. Mr. Henderson of Queen Anne's, Prince George's, 
the Bishop of London's Commissary, for himself and 
the neighboring clergy, proposed to the vestry that 
they would serve the parish for the present, on con- 
dition that the vestry would agree, that the 40 lb. 
tobacco per poll for the current year, be applied to- 
wards purchasing Glebe Land and improving it, for 
the next incumbent and his successors. To this the 
vestry agreed, Edward Benson and Vachel Denton, 
dissenting. Gov. Charles Calvert, Robert Gordon, 
Benjamin Tasker, Alexander Frazier, and John Gor- 
don, consenting. 

On page 137, of the vestry's records, are found the 
autograph signatures of all the churcli wardens and 
vestrymen of St. Ann's Parish, to the Oath of Abju- 
ration and Test Act, almost from the beginning of 
the parish down to the period of the Revolution. To 
those who would see how their ancestors used the pen 
this is an interesting page. 



REV. JOHN HUMPHREYS, Seventh IxciivtBEXT. 



Mr. Humphreys was born in the city of Limerick, 
in Munster, Ireland. His iather Avas a practitioner 
of physic^ and eminent for his skill and ])ractice. He 
was from Leicestershire, England, and hence sent his 



OF ST. ANN\S PARISH. 51 

son to England wlierc he was educated. In 1Y15, he 
was sent out by the Society for the Propagation of the 
Gospel, as a Missionary to Pennsylvania. There he 
officiated alternately at Chester, Chichester. Concord 
and Marcus Hook with great acceptance. But re- 
peated and severe attacks of illness, and the conse- 
quent increase of his expenses, led him in 1724, to 
remove to Maryland, where he became the Rector of 
St. George's, now in Harford County. In view of 
the hardships which he had suffered, and the dili- 
gence with which he had discharged his duties, the 
society on his leaving their employment, made him 
a gratuity of £30.stg. From St. George's he remov- 
ed here, and on the 11th of February, 1725, he ap- 
pears on the records at the head of the vestry. 

At the desire of the vestry^ Gov. Calvert inducted 
him into the Parish. And this being done, they re- 
called their promise made Mr. Henderson, and gave 
the tobacco they had set apart for a glebe, to Mr. 
Humphreys^ to defray the expenses of his removal 
here, thus showing that he came here at their request, 
and by their aid and help. 

The population of the Parish was much on the in- 
crease, the taxables this year, 1726, numbered 744, 
being eighty more than two j'cars ago, showing a 
population of more than 2.000. 

We find nothing peculiarly worthy of notice, till 
the 17tli of February, 1727, when it having been 
found that the recording of births, marriages and bu- 
rials, had been greatly neglected, the law was order- 
ed to be put in force in cases of such delinquency. 

On the 4th of April, it was proposed to the vestry, 
by Mr. Philip Hammond, in behalf and at the re- 
quest of the upper parts of the parish, whose habita- 
tions are so remote, that the church in Annapolis is 
entirely useless to them, that a chapel of ease be car- 
ried on and perfected by subscription of the parish. 



52 HISTORICAL NOTICES 

to be fixed in some convenient place in the upper parts 
thereof, which by this parish is thought fit and ne- 
cessary. It was resolved therefore, that the Govern- 
ment be petitioned, for a permission to carry on the 
same, and that Mr. Beale be requested to draw up a 
petition tlierefor by the next meeting of the vestry. 

It was now ordered that £10 currency, be charged 
for ground in the church yard to bury any one in, 
and the amount be paid to the use of the rector. • 

On the 2d of May, Mr. Richard Claggett received 
permission to build a pew where the font stood, a fact 
showing plainly how the room in the church was now 
all occupied. 

The following paper, as ordered on the 4th of April, 
was then presented : — 
Maryland Ss. 

"To his Excellency, Charles Calvert, Esq., Gov- 
ernor of Maryland. 

The petition of the vestrymen of St. Ann's parish 
in Ann Arundel County, most humbly showeth : 

That it is represented to your petitioners^ by one 
of the vestrymen of said parish on behalf of several 
of the parishioners of said parish, living in the upper 
part thereof, that they live so remote from the parish 
church that they cannot be there in due time to hear 
divine service and the gospel preached. 

And for as much as several of the parishioners are 
willing to build a chapel of ease by subscription, upon 
obtaining your Excellency's license for the same, 
wherefore, your petitioners pray your Excellency to 
grant license to your petitioners, for building a chap- 
el of ease, to be placed by your petitioners in some 
convenient place, for the convenience of the upper 
part of said parish, and your petitioners as in duty 
bound will pray, &c." 

The petition was then signed by the Rector, A. 
Frazier^ V. Denton, Thomas Worthington, John 



OF ST. ANN'S PARISH. 53 

Beale and Phil. Hammond, and presented to the Gov- 
ernor. On the hack of it was then written, ^'I grant 
tliis petition, 2d May, 1127. Charles Calvert." 

If it he asked why this petition ? It was hecause, 
by the charter granted to Lord Baltimore, no clmi'cli 
or chapel could he erected in the Province of any 
name or denomination, without his Lordship's license. 
And the power of granting it, was placed in the hands 
of his Governor. Now here in this petition and the 
answer to it, we have an example of how this thing 
w^as done. 

Another addition to the sittings in the church, 
was at this time called for, and on the 4th of July a 
petition was presented to the vestry for permission to 
erect a gallery over the pews appointed for the gen- 
tlemen of the Assembly ; which was agreed to. This 
it will be recollected, was the third addition ot' pews 
asked for and granted. 

On the 7th of November, the vestry had proceeded 
so far in reference to the chapel, that they appointed to 
meet on the 16th at 11 o'clock, on the race-ground, 
near Mr. Benson's, to choose the ground on which to 
place it. Tliis was near the liead of Severn River. 
Workmen to build it were at the same time adver- 
tised for. 

January 28, 1728. At this date, a blank book for 
accounts was directed to be provided, in which they 
might be kept separately from the vestry's proceed- 
ings, which had before been the custom, to cost £1. 3s. 
It was accordingly procured, but where is it now? 
Could it be recovered, it would throw much light on 
parish affairs, of which we must now remain ignorant. 
On the 5th of March, £1.4s. currency or $3.20, was 
directed to be paid for a copy of the book of the laws 
published by William Parks, and just then printed. 
This had been provided for by the Assembly at its 
previous October session, see Bacon, chapter 8, 1727. 
5* 



54 HISTORICAL NOTICES 

This volume is a small folio of 300 pages, about, 12 
inches by 7. It contains near 50 acts in full;, which 
had become obsolete in 1764, when Bacon published 
his volume, and are consequently by him omitted. 
But it was not complete, 32 acts in full force in 1727, 
all given by Bacon at large, and as being in force 
even when he published, which were omitted in 
Sparks. 

There had been one edition printed 1718, by Brad- 
ford in Philadelphia, and one in 1707, as spoken of 
by Bacon. But one lying before us belonging to John 
Bozman Kerr, Esq., the title page of which is gone, 
contains the Acts of Assembly only down to 1700, 
and consequently, must have l3een published at that 
date. 

Although thus Parks's edition of the laws of the 
Province was defective, 3^et as it contained all the 
enactments of the General Assembly relating to rec- 
tors, vestrymen, parishes, &c., it Avas certainly wise 
in the A^estry to procure a copy, that they might know, 
as every vestry ought to know, its rights, powers, 
privileges, and duties. 

At the same meeting, the parishioners made the se- 
lection of a spot tor the chapel to be built on, in 
Peter Porter's old field, a field whose location is 
not now known. This was approved of by the vestry. 
Still the matter was not thus finally disposed of. 

On the Records of the vestry. May 7, we find the 
following petition, which shows us something of the 
tone, temper and difliculties, which had to be con- 
tended with in the building of the new gallery in 
tlie church. ''To the gentlemen of the vestry of St. 
Ann's, the humble petition of some of the parishion- 
ers of said Parish showeth : — 

That in consideration of the smallness of the parish 
church, and that there was much want of room, you 
were pleased to encourage your parishioners by giv- 



OF ST. ANN S PARISH. bi) 

ing tliem leave sometime since to hiuUl a gallery to- 
wards the north-cast end of tlie said church, and your 
petitioners made provision according tliereto, l)ut 
some vestries after, we understood you were inclined 
to enlarge the said gallery by making it extend from 
near the pulpit all over the assembly pews and over 
the chancel, until it should reach near tlie Governor's 
pew, a design very much wished for and of a general 
good and service, and by these contrivances, tlie church 
may be made to hold almost as many above as below. 
And Ave are humbly of opinion, as we believe all good 
and considerate men will be likewise, that the best 
ornament to a church is a good pastor, and a large 
flock ; we thank God we are blest with the one, but 
want of room obstructs the happiness of the other. 
In consideration of which, we with patience waited 
to know your resolutions, and at length, being or- 
dered to go on with your first directions, which we 
did accordingly, till we were prevented by Mr, John 
Beale, who told us not to proceed any further until 
further orders. We therefore having been at consid- 
erable charges and loss of time in proceeding with 
the said work according to your orders, humbly hope 
your honors will take it into your consideration. And 
we beg leave to know j'our commands, being fully 
persuaded, that it will be most consistent to the hon- 
or and praise of God, and to the great benefit and ad- 
vantage of the said church and people. In hopes of 
which, with humble submission, your petitioners as 
in duty bound shall ever pray. 

Richard Tootell, Simon Duff, Peter Overard, Wm. 
Ghiselen." 

This ])aper being received and read, the petitioners 
were ordered by the vestry to proceed in building the 
said gallery. 

But on the 4th of June, complaint was made by 
the above named persons, that they were obstructed 



56 HISTORICAL NOTICES 

by Mr. Hnmphreys, and his reasons were demanded. 
On the 11th therefore, he replied, that it proceeded 
from a proposition of the Honorable, the Government, 
for enlarging the church and carrying on the Chapel 
of Ease in the upper part of the parish. Whereupon 
the vestry waited upon his Honor^ the Governor, Avho 
recommended them the enlarging the church and re- 
pairing it, as well as building a chapel. The vestry 
therefore gave notice, asking a parish meeting on the 
first of July, in William McCubbin's old field ; but 
no notice is taken in the records of the result of this 
meeting, if in fact it took place. 

On the 3d of September, the General Assembly was 
petitioned by the vestry, both in relation to the aug- 
mentation of the church, and also the building of a 
chapel. 

QUEEN CAROLINE PARISH. 

On the 24th of October, the General Assembly 
erected a new Parish in Ann Arundel County, see 
Bacon, chapter 15, 1728, by the name of Queen Car- 
oline. This was on the north-west of what is now 
St. Ann's Parish, and taken mainly from St. Paul's 
Parish, Baltimore County, embracing that part of it 
west of the Patapsco falls, and from All Hallows, em- 
bracing the northern part of it east of the Patuxent. 
A small portion of it however, was taken off from St. 
Ann's, being all that part north west of a line, drawn 
from the mouth of a small branch running into Pa- 
tuxent river, and lying between the plantations of 
John Ryan and Rose Lee, and running by a straight 
line through the woods till it intersects the former 
division line between Baltimore and Ann Arundel 
Counties, including therein the jjlantations of John 
Ryan and John Barber. How many of the taxables 
of St. Ann's resided in the part thus taken off, is not 



OF ST, ANN'S PARISH. 57 

now known ; but tlie presumption is, not many, for 
tlie distance from Annapolis to this new division line, 
must have been near 20 miles. 

On the 2d of November, Bacon, chapter 25, 1728, 
responding to the petition of the vestry of St. Ann's 
of the 3d of September, the General Assembly passed 
an Act for the repairing and enlarging of the church 
in the city of Annapolis, and for the building of a 
Cliapel of Ease in St. Ann's Parish. And the vestry's 
records of November 5th show us, that the vestry had 
to get the consent of a major part of the parishioners, 
before they could apply to the county justices for an 
assessment, whose duty it was to grant it, under the 
Act which had been passed for that j)urpose. 

The subscriptions of the parishioners giving their 
consent, we are shown from the vesti-y's records of the 
5th of the May following, was obtained by Benjamin 
Gaither, and he was allowed therefor, 150 lbs. of to- 
bacco, or §2.50. This mode was adopted rather than 
the calling meetings of the parishioners, who were 
scattered over a territory 25 miles long, and the 
amount paid was certainly small enough to gratify 
the most penurious. 

On the 4th of March, 1729, the consent of the pa- 
rishioners having been obtained as just stated, and 
the application having been made to the County Jus- 
tices, under the Act of Assembly, the vestry were 
granted 40,000 lbs. of tobacco, or $668. They had 
also in hand £60 currency, about $160, and 
4.000 lbs of tobacco, w^orth $67, which could not be 
a])plied to the building of the chapel. Of the amount 
tlierefore granted by the Court, 25,000 lbs. were ap- 
]died towards building the ciiapel, and the balance 
15.000 lbs. to the improvement of the church. 

On the first of April, it was advertised in the Ma- 
ryland Gazette, the paper then published in Annapo- 



58 HISTORICAL NOTICES 

lis l)y Sparks, that tlie Rev. Jolin Huiiiplirej^s would 
preach at Mr. Benson's when the inhahitants of the 
upper part of the parish avouUI meet, to choosea place 
for the chapel. The one chosen hefore of course had 
not proved satisfactory. Now however, they choose an 
acre of ground belonging to Emanuel Marriott, for 
which as it appears on the vestry's records of July 2, 
1734, said Marriott received £3 currency or $8. 
Whether this was the ordinary price of land in that 
neighborhood at that time, it does not appear, but 
it was purchased subject to the quit rent due annu- 
ally to Lord Baltimore. 

At a meeting on the 4th of March, it was resolv- 
ed to add 25 feet to the parish church, on the east 
end, and carry it up with a square wall. The length 
and breadth are not indeed given_, but if as stated, 
the church was in form a f, it was made so by this 
addition. The chapel it was determined should be 40 
feet by 25. 

On the 5th of May, Easter Monday, the parish was 
laid off into five precincts or districts, and counters 
of tobacco were appointed for each. Under what au- 
thority this was required, has not been ascertained, 
for the Act of 1728, chapter 2, for the improving the 
staple of tobacco, which as some seem to have suppos- 
ed, imposed it, was dissented from, and consequent- 
ly never became a law. 

At the same time, Patrick Creagh agreed to build 
the chapel for 44,000 lbs. of tobacco. 13ut finally on 
the 3rd of June_, Philip Hammond undertook the 
work, engaging to have it finished in one year. The 
taxables of this year are stated at 809. 

On the 8th of August, the General Assembly passed 
an act for the further assessment of 40,000 lbs. of to- 
bacco on the inhabitants of St. Ann's Parish, towards 
enlarging and repairing the church, and building the 
chapel ; and also for paying the fourth part of such 



OF ST. AXN's TARISII. 59 

enlargement and re])airs, by a public assessment on 
the icliole province. The reason for this was, that by 
this Act, the vestry were empowered and directed to 
leave a place and room in the body of the church_, large 
enough for a handsome pew for the Grovernor, an- 
other for the honorable, the members of the Council, 
another for the honorable the Speaker of the House 
of Delegates, and five others, large and commodious, 
for the members of said house. And this was but 
just. For as it is right and duty, that the represen- 
tatives of a christian people to set an example of pub- 
licly worshiping God, so it is rights that such a peo- 
ple should provide an appropriate place for their so 
doing. 

On the ord of March, 1730, a frame vestry house 
20 by 16 feet, near the chapel, at the head of Severn 
was ordered to be built. And on the 4th of August 
following, the chapel itself was reported as being 
nearly perfected. The taxables at this tinijo were -/ 
850. 

And now at length. May 2, 1731, three years near- 
ly after determining to repair and add to the church, 
the vestry give notice^ asking proposals from Avork- 
men for doing the work. 

June G, 1732, a new surplice was ordered and 
£1.10 was paid for making it. And on the 13th of 
November the parish library w\as directed to be in- 
spected by a committee of the vestry, the law requir- 
ed it to be done annual! v. 

May 26, 1733, Peter 'Porter was allowed 200 lbs. 
of tobacco per annum for taking care of tlie cha])el. 

About this time, an Act was passed by the Gene- 
ral Assembly, appropriating £3000 currency, for pur- 
chasing convenient ground in the city of Annapolis, 
and fur building therein, a dwelling house, c^'c, for 
tlie residence of tlie Governor. 

On the 2d of April, 1734, workmen agreed to sliingle 



60 HISTORICAL NOTICES 

the clmrcli for 10s. per square, ($v that is 10 feet scjuare. 
This douhtless Avas the church so long before built, 
and provided for being repaired and enlarged, but as 
yet, nothing had been done. It Avould gratify curi- 
osity to know why this delay occurred. 

More than two years pass away, and now, June 1, 
1736, it was determined that the addition to the 
church should be 20 feet long and 18 Avide in the 
clear, with a window on the east side and a door in 
the end. 

Another year comes round, and February 7, 1737, 
proposals for building the addition were now again 
advertised for. There was also ordered a marble 
font, having a wooden Irame top, with j^^^Heys and 
weight to lift it off and on. It was to be two feet in 
diameter and one and a half deep. 

Nothing further occurs deemed wortli noticing, till 
May 1, 1739, and this Avas the last meeting, in Avhicli 
the name of the Eev. John Humphreys appears at 
the head of the vestry, and this is all the mention of 
him there. But the ministerial records show us, that 
he died on the 8th of July, 1739, fet. 53. And there 
it is said, that "he did not displease his people by 
irregular or indecent livino^." He had exercised his 
ministry in this country twenty-four years, and in 
this parish fourteen. In that time, he had seen the 
population of the parish increase about six hundred, 
a new parish in part made out of this, a chapel of 
ease erected, and the congregation of the parish church 
so increase, as long befoi'C this, to require its being 
enlarged, and steps had been taken Avith this intent. 
His parishioners as Ave have seen, thanked God and 
bore testimony, that he Avas a good Pastor. 

He left behind him at his death, some children and 
a widow named Theodosia. Some years after this, 
she is mentioned as marrying Philip Key, Esq., of 
St. Mary's County. 



OF ST. Ann's parish. 61 



REV. JAMES STIRLING, Eighth Incumbent. 



On the 5th of August, 1739, Mr. Stirling present- 
ed his letters of induction to the vestry, from Gov. 
Ogle, and was received as the incumbent of the parish. 

The addition to the church appears now to have 
been nearly completed, and the pulpit and desk were 
ordered to be placed where the new addition joins the 
old building on that side where the Assembly's pews 
were. On the 1st of October it was reported as fin- 
ished. 

Mr. Stirling is noted as present in vestry for the 
last time, May 7, 1740; soon after this date, he ac- 
cepted the Rectorship of St. Paul's, Kent County, and 
there he remained till his death, in November, 1763. 
He resided while there in Chestertown, and his house 
is called Stirling Castle still. His daughter married 
Wm. Carmichael, Esq. On the 3d of July, 1755, 
he preached before the General Assembly, and his 
sermon was printed in the Maryland Gazette, there 
is a long obituary of him, from which we extract the 
following. 

Mr. Stirling died, ^^ after long enduring with the 
utmost patience and resignation, the excruciating 
pain of stone in the bladder." "By his death the Prov- 
ince of Maryland has lost a great and good man, a 
most valuable member of society^ and in spite of his 
failings, he was an honor and ornament to the sacred 
cloth he wore, as well as to the country he lived in. 
His uncommon abilities and extensive learning, in 
all the branches of polite literature, stand unrivaled 
in this part of the world. He was active and zealous 
in discharging the duties of his function and greatly 
admired as a noble, elegant, and pathetic preacher." 
6 



62 HISTORICAL NOTICES 



KEY. CHARLES LAKE, Ninth Incumbent. 



Mr. Lake presented his letters of induction from 
Gov. Ogle to the vestry, October 7, 1740, and became 
the incumbent of the parish. 

The addition to the church is now shown, October 
1st, to have cost £310. 17s., about |826. The single 
])ews are mentioned as being four feet "wide, besides 
which there were double ones. In the old part, the 
plastering was ordered to be pulled down, and all 
was to be repaired. 

Still, the church does not appear to have furnished 
room enough for the congregation, for on the 2nd of 
February, 1741, A. Sutton, Samuel Middleton, Wil- 
liam Roberts, Jonas Green, Edward Rumney, Wil- 
liam Reynolds, Maj. Munroe, J. Reynolds, Hance, 
Garrett, Wolf, and Samuel Suman, obtained leave to 
build a gallery in the new addition w^ith eleven pews. 
It was to be entered from the outside of the church, 
and the benefit of the Assembly's pews were devoted 
to the use of the Rector. 

The inside of the Chapel of Ease was ordered to be 
painted, and also the outside, with tar and red paint. 

September 5, 1742^ the accounts for the repairs of 
the church were found to amount to £186. 10s. 9d. 
A pew is mentioned at this time, as sold to Onorio 
Rosolino, for Elizabeth Calvert a minor, for £24 cur- 
rency, being about $64. This shows not only that 
the pews of the church were sold, but also somewhat 
the value then set upon them. 

In Bacon, chapter 7, 1732, there is an Act for the 
naturalization of this gentleman. He seems to have 
been the guardian of Elizabeth Calvert, see Bacon, 
chapter 20, 1747. He Avas an Italian. 



OF ST. Ann's parish. 63 

111 October, 1742, an Act was passed, to enable 
Gov. Bladen, or the Governor for the time being, to 
purchase four acres within the fence of the city, and 
to build thereon a dwelling house for the use of the 
Governor. 8ee Eddis, 167. Materials were provi- 
ded and the building was nearly completed in style 
of superior magnificence, when an unhappy conten- 
tion took place between the Governor and delegates, 
which caused the further prosecution of building it 
to be discontinued. A very trifling sum would have 
rendered it a noble habitation. It is now St. John's 
College. 

On the 6th of September, 1743, Mr. Lake attend- 
ed the meetings of the vestry for the last time. Where 
he removed to, has not been ascertained. But in 
1748, five years after this, he became the Rector of 
St. James's Herring Creek, Ann Arundel, and con- 
tinued there till his death, in July, 1764, when he 
died at an advanced age. 



REV. SAMUEL EDGAR, Tenth Incumbent. 



Mr. Edgar presented his letters of induction from 
Gov. Bladen to the vestry on the 17th of January, 
1744, and thus became the incumbent of the parish. 
In 1730, we find him to have been the Rector of West- 
minster Parish. But from that date to the present, 
we learn nothing of liim. May he not have been the 
Rector of King William's school ? 

The last meeting of the vestry at which he was 
present, was November 14, 1744, and this is the last 
mention of him which has been found in the parisli 
records. But his will dated December 14, 1744, and 
proved April 2ytli, 1745. He directed that there 



4 HISTORICAL XOTICES 

slionld ])e no funeral sermon at his burial, and left 
his affairs to be settled by Dr. George Steuart of An- 
napolis. His things were to be sold, and the money 
sent to Wm. Bowden, merchant, London, but his 
clothes he gave to Mrs. Kogers's children, with whom 
he appears to have lived. He died a bachelor. 



REV. JOHN GORDON, D. D., Eleventh Incumbent. 



Mr. Gordon presented his letters of induction to 
the vestry from Gov. Bladen, May 7, 1745, and thus 
became the incumbent of the parish. 

In the Maryland Gazette of October 14, 1746, there 
is advertised a sermon preached by Mr. Gordon on 
the suppression of the Scotch rebellion from Exodus 
14: 13, ''And Moses said unto the people, fear ye 
not, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord." 

This Gazette, first published as we have seen by 
Parks in 1728, was re-commenced, January 27th, 
1745. And we learn from the -'Annals of Annapo- 
lis," that it continued to be edited by Mr. Jonas 
Green for twenty-one years. After his death, it was 
conducted by his widow, Mrs. Anne Catharine Green, 
aided by her son William, and continued to be pub- 
lished by some one of his descendants, down to 1840. 
An unbroken series of this paper, preserved by the 
family, is now in the State Library. It is a chroni- 
cle of great value, to thos6 interested in the history 
of Annapolis, during its day. 

The rebellion which was suppressed, was that of 
the pretender to the throne of England. The victory 
of the Duke of Cumberland over him, delivered Eng- 
land from popery and invasion, and secured the pro- 
testant succession. It was celebrated in the Province, 



OF ST. ANN'S PARISH. 65 

by a clay of thanksgiving, on which, sermons were 
preached, and a number of them published. Besides 
religious services, there was in Annapolis, the firing 
of guns, drinking of loyal healths, a ball, the illu- 
mination of the city, and a bon-fire, at which punch 
was freely distributed to the populace. A year since, 
horse racing had been established here. These things 
serve to give us a specimen of Annapolis as it then 
was, in reference at least to its amusements. 

On the 5th November, thanksgiving day, the Rev. 
George Whitfield preached upon the occasion, from 
Proverbs 14 : 28, "Righteousness exalteth a nation." 
"A good suitable sermon," says the Gazette. 

There was at this time, considerable trade and 
commerce here. It was no unusual thing, to see some 
ten to twenty ships and other vessels leaving the har- 
bor and the port was frequently visited by the King's 
shijjs of war. 

On the 18th of August, the vestry note, that Mrs. 
Alicia Ross left to the church, a pall of gold cloth. 
Amidst all the prosperity and worldliness that pre- 
vailed, this small remembrance of the proprieties of 
burial, is worth a passing mention. 

On the 11th of July, 1747, an Act of the General 
Assembly was passed, to enable the vestry to lease 
certain lots in the city of Annapolis, numbered 59, 
60, 61, for three lives, or 63 years, the yearly rents 
of which, were declared to belong to the Rector for- 
ever. And the vestry's records show, that they were 
leased to the Rev. Mr. Gordon, William Reynolds 
and Thomas King respectively, for £3, £4. 5s., £4; 
in all, £11. 5s. per annum. These leases of course 
reached down to 1800. 

The annals of Annapolis note, page 118, that a 
ship arrived here witii (Scotch) rebels, who were 
termed the "King's passengers," and who were said 
to have been "favored with transportation." 
6* 



66 HISTORICAL NOTICES 

Mr. Gordon was present for the last time in vestry, 
March 27, 1749. Soon after this date, he removed 
to, and became rector of St. Michael's Parish, Tal- 
bot County. In the following year, June 25, he 
preached a Masonic Sermon at Annapolis, which was 
published. At the Eevolution he was a whig. His 
name is among those who took the oath of fidelity to 
the American Government in 1778. In 1785, he re- 
ceived the degree of D. D. from Washington College, 
Kent County. His residence in Talbot was at the 
glebe, a little east of Miles Eiver ferry. He died 
April 12th, 1790, leaving a widow and children. 
Some of his autograj)h sermons and letters are pre- 
served in the archives of the Convention of Maryland. 
His portrait still hangs in the hall at Myrtle Grove, 
Talbot County, the residence of the late Hon. Kobert 
H. Goldsborough. 



REV. ANDREW LENDRUM, Twelfth Incumbent. 



Mr. Lendrum presented his letters of induction 
from Gov. Ogle to the vestry, April 4th, 1749, and 
was received as the Rector of the Parish. Where he 
had ministered before coming here, we do not learn. 
But he must have been licensed by the Bishop of Lon- 
don, previous to 1745. He continued here however 
but for a few months, for on the 26th of September, 
he resigned his rectorship of this parish, and became 
the incumbent of St. George's Parish, then in Balti- 
more, but now Harford County, where he continued 
till his death in 1772. In a sermon of the Rev. Thom- 
as Cradock of 1753 he speaks of Mr. Lendrum, as a 
very worthy minister, and this testimony from such 
a source is well worth being perpetuated. 



OF ST. ANN'S PARISH. 67 

At this date, one hundred years had passed away, 
since the emigrants from Virginia had settled in 
the territory of this parish. And it may be worth 
while to take a passing retrospect of the changes here 
during this period. The original inhabitants, the 
Indians, were all gone. The Puritans, they too as 
such_, were no longer heard of, their places of worship 
were desolate, and their grave yards — where are they? 
At their Proctors Landing, a city had grown up, 
it was the seat of government for the province. The 
State House, the church, the school houses, and mag- 
nificent dwellings, some of which still remain, had 
taken the place of the log hut of the emigrant, and 
the wigwam of the Indian. Luxury, fashion and 
commerce, with their attendant dissipations and ex- 
travagance, had taken the place of the severe and 
stern simplicity of the early settlers. The battles 
and war of its first days had been forgotten, and the 
full congregations worshiping at the parish church 
and the chapel at the head of Severn, show that Pur- 
itanism had passed away. And this last mentioned 
change, what had produced it? The descendants of 
the early puritans were not few, and many of them 
were still here, but were they puritans ? How came 
all this? Was it, that there were lacking in Puri- 
tanism the elements of perpetuity ? True, in return- 
ing to the church which their fathers had left, they 
sacrificed no doctrinal belief Still, the ecclesiastical 
government, and the forms of worship which their 
ancestors had called by such harsh names, and so ut- 
terly repudiated, were the same. Certainly then, we 
are left to the conclusion, that while the Church of 
England did embody whatever was needful to self- 
preservation and purity, the system which had here 
passed away, did not possess them. For could earn- 
estness, zeal and devotion have preserved them, they 
had continued to flourish. 



08 HISTORICAL NOTICES 



REV. ALEXANDER MALCOLM, Thirteenth 
Incumbent. 



On the 26th September , 1749^ the same day on 
which Mr. Lendrum resigned, Mr. Malcolm present- 
ed to the vestry his letters of induction. Mr. Malcolm 
came here from Marblehead, Massachusetts, where 
he had been one of the Missionaries of the Society for 
the Propagation of the Gospel, for ten years. He 
went there from New York, where had he previously 
been a school master. He removed to Marblehead, 
strongly recommended for his good life and learning. 
And the reports of the society show him to have been 
very popular and successful there. The dissenters 
went in great crowds to hear him. It appears thus, 
that he was well calculated to win his wa}^ among 
the descendants of the Puritans in St. Ann's Parish, 
where he was the third rector within the same year. 

In ordinary times — and so now especially — 1749, 
the church in the city, having been so recently re- 
paired and enlarged, the Chapel of Ease built, and 
the glebe lots leased, the vestry had little to do at 
tlieir meetings, which the law required to be monthly, 
but to audit and settle accounts, and ask the Coun- 
ty Justices for assessments of tobacco on the parish, 
to meet their current expenses. They had however oth- 
er duties imposed upon them bylaw, to which they were 
obliged to attend. Such were the cases which occurred 
of unlawful cohabitation, violations of the sabbath, 
cases of profaneness, the nomination annually to the 
Governor for his confirmation of the inspectors of to- 
bacco for the Port of Annapolis, and at the Indian 
Landing, called head of Severn, and subsequently, 
the return of a list annually of the bachelors of the 



OF ST. ANN'S PAKISII. 69 

Parish. Tliese things of course, coukl not be neglect- 
ed, and therefore occupied much of their time, but it 
has not been thought necessary to notice them in de- 
tail. 7 

In January, 1B50, the General Assembly jmssed 
an Act^ enabling the Rector and visitors of King Wil- 
liam's school, to sell 650 acres of land in Dorchester 
County, devised to them by the last will of TJiomas 
Smithsorij then late of Talbot County, and invest the 
proceeds, &c. It is rather a singular coincidence, 
that one of the same name should, in after times so 
liberally provide for an institution in the capitol of 
the United States, now bearing his name. 

It may deserve mention here, that, as early as 1752, 
a theatre was built in this city — Annals of Annapolis^ 
page 149. 

Mr. Malcolm appears in the vestry for the last time, 
May 6, 1754, soon after which, he resigned the pa- 
rish and became the Eector of St. Paul's, Queen Anne 
County, to which he removed. There he continued 
till his death in 1763, at an advanced age. In the 
Maryland Grazette of January 20, 1763, in an obitua- 
ry, it is mentioned that he was the author of several 
learned works, on Grammar, Music and Mathematics. 
Would that copies of them could yet be found. 



REV. JOHN MYERS, Fourteenth Incumbent. 



On the 27th of May, 1754, Mr. Myers presented 
to the vestry his letters of induction from Gov. Sharpe. 
He appears to have been licensed by tlie Bishop of Lon- 
don previous to 1745, but how long he had been in 
Mary Land, or where, does not appear. He is never 
mentioned as present at any vestry meeting, and it is 



70 HISTORICAL NOTICES 

probable that he resigned in less than two months, 
as his place here was occupied by another at that 
time. He removed from here to Caroline County, 
and became the Kector of St. Mary's White Chapel, 
and continued there till his deaths which we learn 
from the Maryland Gazette, took place February 21, 
1760. His removal thus, made w^ay for a third cler- 
gyman in this parish, within the year, the second oc- 
currence as we have seen of the same kind. 



KEY. JOHN McPHEKSON, D. D., Minister. 



Mr. McPherson was licensed for Maryland by the 
Bishop of London, April 17, 1751. But where he 
had officiated to the time of his appearing here, has 
not been ascertained. He commenced his services 
here July the 20th, 1754. This appears from a com- 
munication addressed by him to the vestry, dated May 
6th, 1755, which shows that he had not then enter- 
ed into any engagement with them. And while thus 
it is certain, that he had not been inducted into the 
l)arish, as its incumbent, it appears that he had been 
appointed by the Governor, to officiate temporarily. 

In March, 1756, an Act of Assembly was passed, 
for raising a sinking fund, for the supply of his Maj- 
esty's service, in other words, for protecting the fron- 
tier of this province against the Indians, then at war 
with the colonies. And not only were spirits, wines, 
billiard tables, horses, &c., &c., taxed^ but also bach- 
elors, the list of which, in each parish, it was made 
the duty of the A^estry to return to the Government. 

In the return from St. Ann's Parish in 1750, the 
vestry ordered the Begister to insert the names of his 
excellency. Gov. Sharpe, and the Rev. John McPher- 



OP ST. Ann's parish. 71 

son, tliey being both bachelors, inasmuch as they 
did not take it upon themselves to determine whether 
they came within the Act or not. 

It may be a matter of curiosity to some, to know 
who were the bachelors of that day. Their names 
therefore are here given. All over 25 years of age, 
assessed under £300 and over £100 were taxed five 
shillings each, and it was so continued for six years. 
Their names were, Joshua Frazier, Eichard Green^ 
1756, 1757, 1758, 1759, 1760, 1761; Allen Quinn 
till 1761 ; Baldwin Lusby for 1756; Caleb Davis and 
Emanuel Marriott, for 1756 — 7; and Kezin Gaither, 
at the head of Severn, for 1756 — 7 and 8. 

Those assessed over £300, paid 20s. each and were, 
William Stuart, for the six years, also John Eidout, 
Esq., John Gilliss, and Daniel Wolfstenhome, Ste- 
phen Bordley, and Charles Carroll, Barrister. For 
lives years, James Maccubbin, Beale Nicholson of An- 
napolis, William Gaither, head of Severn, Charles 
Hammond of Philip, and John Griffith. For four 
years. Col. Benjamin Tasker and Lancelot Juques; 
for three years, James Johnson, John Leadler, and 
Zachariah Hood; for two years, Moses Maccubbin 
and John Davis; and those for one year, S. Lowe, 
Charles Cole, William Tiiornton, Charles Carroll, 
Esq., Dr. Upton Scott, Eobort Strain, Eobert Couden, 
Benjamin Beall, and John Bennett. This law^ was 
cleai'ly a bounty on matrimony, of Avhich, some cer- 
tainly availed themselves. 

This year, a house, near tlie chapel at the head of 
the Severn, 20 feet by 12, was ordered by the vestry 
to be built. From which it would appear, that the 
one ordered twenty-five years before, either had not 
been built, or, hacl been in some way destroyed. 

On the 1st of September, 1756,' Mr. McPherson 
had removed and become the Eector of William and 
Mary's Parish, Charles County. There he continued 



72 HISTORICAL NOTICES 

till his death, in June 21, 1785. He was buried in 
the church-yard. Just before his death, he had re- 
ceived the degree of D. D. from Washington College. 
From the carefulness with which such honors were 
then conferred, this shows him to have been consid- 
ered of some note in the Church. 



KEY. CLEMENT BROOKE, Minister. 



Mr. Brooke was a native of Prince George's Coun- 
ty, and was licensed for North Carolina, July 5th, 
1755. But, instead of going there, he was sent by 
the society to New Castle, Delaware. After remain- 
ing there a year, he came to this city. His name 
does not appear in the vestry's records, and conse- 
quently, he was not the rector of the parish. But, 
on the ministerial records, baptisms are recorded as 
having been administered by him, in February, 
April, and December, of 1757. He was, no doubt, 
officiating here in the same capacity as did Mr. 
McPherson. It is probable that he continued here 
till 1759, when he became the curate of the Rector of 
Prince George's Parish, now^ in Montgomery County. 
From thence, December, 1761, he removed to St. An- 
drew's Parish, St. Mary's County — of which parish 
he was curate two years. In 1778, he was residing 
in St. Paul's, Baltimore County; and in 1795, on his 
estate in Prince George's County — where he died in 
. In 1819, his two sons were still resident there. 

The master of the free school, King William's, at 
this time was Mr. Isaac Dakien, and is mentioned 
nine years after as still being so. 



OF ST. ANN'S PARISH. 73 



KEY. ALEXANDER WILLIAMSON, Fifieenth 
Incumbent. 



Mr. Williamson presented his letters of incUiction 
from Gov. Sliarpe to the Vestry, April 23d, 1759. 
(Query was lie not tlie son of the Rev. Alexander Wil- 
liamson, Rector of St. Paul's, Kent County, who died 
there in 1740?) He was licensed by the Bishop of 
London for Maryland, December 27th, 1755, and be- 
came curate in St. Andrew's Parish, St. Mary's Coun- 
ty, and from thence removed here. He was at this 
time unmarried, and so continued during his rector- 
ship here, being found on the list of bachelors in 1760 
and 61. 

His attendance in a meeting of the vestry for the 
last time, ^as November 4th, 1760. In February, 
1761, he was presented to the curacy of Prince George 
Parish, then Frederick County., but now Montgom- 
ery. And it was at this time doubtless, that he re- 
signed St. Ann's. In the following year^ on the death 
of its rector, he became the incumbent and continued 
to be so till the Fall of 1776, when by act of the State 
Convention, the clergy ceased to be longer supported 
by law. He was known as a tory, but continued to 
reside on his estate above Georgetown, D. C.^ till his 
death in . 



REV. SAM. KEENE, D. D., Sixteenth Incumbent. 



Mr. Keene was a native of Baltimore County, and 
born May 11, 1734. He graduated at the college in 

7 



74 HISTORICAL NOTICES 

Philadelphia, June 1759, and was ordained deacon, 
by the Bisliop of Kochester acting for the Bishop of 
London, at the Palace at Fulham, County of Middle- 
sex, ►Sunday September 21st, 1760, and by the same, 
at the same place, i3riest on the 29th of the same 
month, it being the feast of St. Michael's. The next 
day he was licensed by the Bishoi:) of London for Ma- 
ryland. He appears to have been in Annapolis at 
the time of Mr. Williamson's leaving, for he is on the 
list of bachelors returned from this parish, for 1^61 
and '62, and certainly thus early officiated. 

On the 29th of June, 1761, an organ-loft was or- 
dered by the vestry to be made, in the new addition 
in the church. This is the first mention of an organ 
remembei'cd to have been met with on the records. 
And the fact of now building a gallery to place it in^ 
shows that before this there was none in the church. 

On the 6tli of October, £10 was paid to Frederick 
Victor, as organist, for his care and trouble in fixing 
the organ. How the organ was procured, or when 
it came, nothing is stated. 

But his letters of induction were not given Mr. 
Keene by Grov. Sharpe till March 23, 1762, and on 
the 30th he presented them to the vestry and became 
the incumbent of the parish. 

After July 3rd, 1763, Mr. Keene is not recorded 
as having been present at the meetings of the vestry, 
though for some years thereafter rector. 

On the 6th of December, it is stated that Mrs. Hen- 
rietta Maria Dorsey had left as a legacy £50, with 
which the vestry had purchased, being probably so 
directed by her, a crimson velvet cushion and i^uljDit 
cloth with gold fringe, and three handsome church 
jDrayer-books bound in calf and brass on the corners, 
having on the covers in letters of gilt, ''The gift of 
Mrs. Henrietta Maria Dorsey, to St. Ann's Church, 
. 1762." She also gave the parish £100, to be distrib- 
^ uted to the poor, as the vestrj^ should think fit. 



OF ST. ANN S PARISil. 7a 

After September 1:>, 1764, there are three bhank 
leaves, and the next entry dates April, 1767. 

On the 2nd of March, 1767, it is recorded, that the 
Rev. Thomas Alkin of St. John's Queen Ann's Coun- 
ty, was married to Ellen Middleton. He was Rector 
of St. John's. 

Mr. Keene liaving been presented to St. Luke's 
Parish, Queen Anne County, July 27th, 1767, he ac- 
cordingly resigned this parish and removed thither. 
His residence is noted on Griffith's map of Maryland, 
as being in the northern extremity of Caroline County, 
a small part of which county is in St. Luke's parish. 

In 1779, he became the Rector of Chester Parish, 
where he remained but two years, and then took 
charge of St. John's Parish^, Queen Anne and Caro- 
line Counties, probably in Connection with St. Luke's, 
where he continued till 1 792, living on his own es- 
tate. In 1765 he received the degree of D. D. from 
Washington College. In 1803 he appears to have 
resigned St. Luke's though continuing to reside there. 
In 1805 he became the Rector of St. Michael's, Tal- 
bot County. After 1807 he ceased to be its rector, 
though he continued to reside there till his death, 
May 8th, 1810, a3t. 76, leaving no family. 

He was a prominent man in the church of his day^ 
and one to whom the church in Maryland owqs much. 
During the Revolution, see Hawks' Maryland, page 
290, tlie General Assembly took up the subject of or- 
ganizing the church in the State, and particularly of 
appointing ordainers to the ministry. Hearing of 
this^ Dr. Keene at once hastened to Annapolis, and 
on being heard before the House of Delegates, was 
chiefly instrumental in causing the plan to be aban- 
doned. He was one of the Committee of Examiners 
appointed in 1783^ one of the Superintending Com- 
mittee ol' 1788-89, and one of the Standing Committee 
from 1788 to 179.") inclusive. 



76 HISTORICAL NOTICES 



REV. BENNET ALLEN, Seventeenth Incumbent. 



On the 20th of April, 1767, Mr. Allen presented 
his letters of induction to the vestry from Gov. Sharpe, 
and became the rector. 

Mr. Allen was a graduate and fellow of Wadham 
College, Oxford, England, and ordained deacon by 
the Bishop of Oxford, September 23d^ 1759, and priest 
by the same, September 20, 1761. His license by the 
Bishop of London for Maryland, bears date Septem- 
ber 30^ 1766. He was a particular friend of Lord 
Baltimore, who on Mr. Allen's coming over in 1767, 
wrote to Grov. Sharpe to give him whatever he wished 
in the j^rovince. St. Luke's, Queen Anne's was the 
best living then vacant. But having an eye on All 
Saints, Frederick, the rector of which, was then old 
and near his end, he preferred to remain in Annapo- 
lis. Mr. Keene consequently was induced to resign 
St. Anne's, and accept St. Luke's as we have seen, 
and thus Mr. Allen came into Mr. Keene 's j^lace. 

He was designed by Lord Baltimore, to be the Bish- 
op of London's Commissary in Maryland. But he 
preferred, on his arrival here, the place of receiver- 
general, and that he obtained, being also made Lord 
Baltimore's agent. Having however as just stated, 
his eye on the parish in Frederick, he accepted mean- 
while this of St. Ann's, and was also Lord Baltimore's 
chaplain. Md. Gaz., November 3rd, 1768. On the 
24th of November a new surplice was ordered. 

For a year it is said, he lived quite retired, he did 
his duty in the parish regularly, and was generally 
liked, and continued to be so. See Md. Gazette, No- 
vember 10th, 1768, he expended one whole year's in- 
come upon the glebe house. 



OF ST. axn's parish. 77 

On the 24t]i of October, Mr. Allen received from 
the Governor, a license as curate of St. James', Ann 
Arundel, and the rector soon after dying on tlie llth 
of February, 1768, he received letters of induction 
there and became its rector, holding that and St. Ann's 
at the same time, though contrary to law unless with 
the consent of the two vestries which it appears that 
he obtained by unfair means, and received a challenge 
from one of St. James' vestry. 

Mr. Allen's last attendance in the meetings of the 
vestry, was November 24th, 1767. He got into an- 
other very serious quarrel it is said, with Daniel Du- 
lany, Esq., who visited him with personal chastise- 
ment in the street of Annapiolis. 

On the 2nd of February, 1768, it was ordered by 
the vestry, that the Kegister search for a deed of the 
lot K in Annapolis, whereon the parsonage then 
stood, as it still does. It was dated — 1759, and was 
from Philip Key of St. Mary's, and Theodosia his 
wife, who was the widow it may be recollected_, of the 
Kev. John Humphreys, to the Rev. Alexander Wil- 
liamson and the vestry. The consideration named 
was £20. The lot is described, as lying on the South 
West side of Hanover Street, running south 156 feet, 
and north west 192. The purchase embraced all the 
houses, &c., formerly bought of John Lomas. 

In June, 1768, the Rector of All Saints being now 
dead, Mr. Allen was presented to that Parish. On 
taking charge of it he was mobbed on the very first 
Sunday, nnder the influence as he said of the Dula- 
neys. And a long paper controversy in the Mary- 
land Grazette ensued. Mr. Allen now resigned St. 
Ann's, but appears to have held on to St. James', till 
in June 1769, when he resigned that also. All Saints, 
Frederick is said at that time to have been worth 
|4,000 per annum. Indeed Eddis, page 49, says it 
was estimated at £1,000 sterling or §4,666. 
7* 



78 IIISTOmCAL NOTICES 

Mr. Allen "was a tory, and as by the bill of rights, 
the support of the clergy ceased in November, 1776, 
he left and returned to England. How he was em- 
ployed there is not known. But on the 18th of June, 
1782, he challenged Mr. Lloyd Dulaney, formerly of 
Maryland, but then in London, and killed him. It 
is said of Allen that he died in wretched poverty, be- 
ing intemperate and degraded, in the street in Lon- 
don. He is stated to have been a man, not only of 
finished scholarship, but of fine personal appearance 
and address. He was however destitute of principle 
and piety, profane, grasping and haughty — poor 
wretched man ! 



KEY. WM. EDMISTON, Eighteenth Incumbent. 



On the 3rd of March, 1768, Mr. Edmiston present- 
ed his letters of induction from Gov. Sharpe to the 
vestry, and was recognized as rector. 

Mr. Edmiston was a native probably of Pennsyl- 
vania, and a graduate of the college of Philadelphia. 
He was ordained deacon by the Bishop of Lincoln, 
March 15th, 1767, and priest, on the 29th, by the 
Bishop of Oxford^ at St, James', Westminster. The 
next day, he was licensed for Pennsylvania by the 
Bishop of London, and returned to that Province^ 
where he remained till he came to Annapolis. 

This year 1760, Hanson^ chapter 14, the General 
Assembly appropriated £7. 500 sterling, to build a 
new (the present) State House. The foundation stone 
was laid March 28th, 1772, by Gov. Eden. It Avas 

finished in . Its length is 120 feet, and width 

82, exclusive of the octagon. The dome was not put uj) 
till after theKevolution. Itrisestotheheightof 200 feet. 



OF ST. ANN'S PARISH. 79 

July 4tli, 1769. The taxables for 1708 are sta- 
ted at 1217. Sncli had been the increase since 1750? / 
when last mentioned, beinir then -i^^. c/- ^.oj^j i^ /^ 

September 4tli, Mr. Eddis arrTTOTl m Annapolis. 
'"'Understanding,"' he writes, ''that I Avas in time for 
divine service, I availed myself of an immediate op- 
portunity to offer up my fervent acknowledgements at 
the throne of grace ^'~ * * * * *, ipiie exterior of 
the church has but little to recommend it, but the 
congregation Avas numerous. The solemn offices were 
performed with a becoming devotion, and my mind 
Avas in perfect unison with the important duties of the 
day. " By invitation he dined that day, Avith a din- 
ner party at GoA^ Edens — Avas it Sunday ? 

Mr. Edmiston's last meeting in A'cstry Avas in April, 
1770. Very soon after, he removed to and became 
rector of St. George's Parish, now in Harford Coun- 
ty. In a few days. May 19th, 1770, he received the 
appointment of Rector of St. Thomas' Parish, Balti- 
more County, on which he at once entered. There^ 
he Avas warmly partizan against both w^higs and dis- 
senters^ and for an offensive expression of his, in con- 
demnation of the Avhigs in his pulpit on a Sabbath in 
1775, he was taken before the County "Committee of 
ObserA^ation," Avhere he made some recantations and 
a promise in future to avoid offence. But he had gone 
too far, and in September he felt himself compelled 
to abandon his parish, and sailed for England. He 
left his wife and daughter behind him, but sent for 
them as soon as he AA'as able. 

February 20tli, 1770, Eddis, page 31, Avrites thus, 
on Saturday last Avas tlie AnniA^ersary of the Proprie- 
tary's birth-day. The Governor gave a grand enter- 
tainment to a numerous party. The festivity conclu- 
ded Avith cards and dancing, Avhich engaged the at- 
tention of tlieir resi)ective votaries, till an early hour. 

Annapolis, he tells us, boasts of a great number of 



80 iriSTomcAL xotices 

i'asliionable and handsome women, and were I not 
satisfied to tlie contrary, I shonld suppose, that a ma- 
jority of our belles possessed every advantage of a 
long and familiar intercourse with the manners and 
habits of London. 

During the vvinter, there are assemblies every fort- 
night, the room for dancing is large, the construction 
elegant, and the whole illuminated to great advantage. 
At each extremity are apartments for the card tables. 



KEY. JOHNATHAN BOUCHER, Nineteenth 
Incumbent. 



Mr. Boucher received his letters of induction from 
Gov. Eden, and presented them to the vestrv, June 
12th, 1770. 

In early life he had come from England to Virgin- 
ia. In 1762 he returned to England, and was or- 
dained priest on the 26th of March, and licensed for 
Virginia by the Bishop of London the same day. On 
his coming home, he first took charge of Hanover 
Parish, in King George County, and subsequently of 
St. Mary's Parish, in Caroline County. From thence 
he came to Annapolis. 

He remained here but a year. His last attendance 
with the vestry, was June 4th, 1771. Soon after this, 
he became the Rector of Queen Anne's Parish, Prince 
George's County. 

September 9th, 1771, Mr. Eddis Avrites : The new 
theatre was opened, and had a numerous and bril- 
liant audience. It was a handsome structure of brick. 
It was built on ground leased from St. Ann's Parish. 
The lease expired about 1814. And the vestry then 
took j)ossession of it and sold it. It was soon after 



OF ST. Ann's parish. 81 

pulled dowiij and a carriage manufactory, 1840^ oc- 
cupies its place, as we learn from Mr. Ridgely. 

Mr. Boucher was a tory. In 1773, he had a con- 
troversy in the Maryland Gazette, with Messrs. Chase 
and Paca, on the reduction of the pay of the clergy _, 
which Avas conducted with much ahility. In 1775 
he left the province, and returned to England. After 
the peace had heen proclaimed, in 1784, he was pre- 
sented to the Vicarage of Epsom, Surry, where he re- 
mained till 1799, when he removed to Carlisle, where 
he died in 1804. 

Mr. Boucher was a man of clear head, sound mor- 
als, evangelical doctrine, and an ahle writer. In 
1797, he published a thick octavo volume of discour- 
ses, political mostly in their bearing, preached while 
in Prince George's County, Maryland, to which, he 
prefixed a history of the causes and the consequences 
of the American Revolution. This may be consider- 
ed the tory view of it. It is certainly very able, and 
apparently candid, and is well worthy of a careful 
perusal, by all who would understand that period of 
American history. 



REV. JOHN MONTGOMERY, Twentieth Incum- 
bent. 



The parish remained vacant six months, when on 
the 21st of January, 1772, Mr. Montgomery present- 
ed his letters of induction to the vestry from Gov. 
Eden. He was ordained by the Bishop of London^, 
and licensed by him for Maryland, July 23rd, 1770. 
On his coming to the province he became the Rector 
of Worcester Parish, Worcester County, and it was 
from thence, that he came here. 



82 HISTORICAL NOTICES 

The cliurch was originally built in the form of a 
letter f, says the Annals of Annapolis, page 123, and 
neatly finished. The principal entrance was towards 
the East. It was in a ruinous condition. Its minis- 
ter often remonstrated with his congregation and urg- 
ed them to repair or re-huild it, but did not succeed 
until the folloAving poem appeared in the Maryland 
Gazette, September 5th, 1771: — 

''To the very worthy and respectable inhabitants 
of Annapolis, the humble petition of their old church 
sheweth: — 

"That late in ceutury the last, 
By private bounty, here were placed, 
My sacred walls, and tho' in truth, 
Their style and manner be uncouth, 
Yet, whilst no structure met mine eye, 
That even with myself could vie, 
A goodly edifice I seemed, 
And pride of all St. Ann's was deemed. 
How changed the times ! for now all round, 
Unnumbered stately piles abound, 
All better built, and looking doAvn 
On me, cpiite antic|uated grown, 
Left unrepaired, to time a prey, 
I feel my vitals fast decay, 
And often have I heard it said, 
That some good people are afraid, 
Lest I should tumble on their head. 
Of which indeed this seems a proof, 
They seldom come beneath my roof. 
The stadt house, that for public good, 
With me co-eval long had stood. 
With me full many a storm has dared, 
Is now at length to be repaired. 
Or rather to be built anew, 
An honor to the land and you. 
W^hilst I alone, not worth your care, 
Am left your sad neglect to bear, 
AVith grief, in yonder field, hard l^ye, 
A sister ruin I espj^ : — 
Old Bladeri's palace, once so famed, 
And now too well '■the folly,^ named. 
Her roof all tottering to decay, 
Her walls a mouldering all away. 
She says, or seems to say to me. 



OF ST. Ann's parish. 83 

'Such too ere long thy fate shall be.' 
* '.■■■ m * » -.-i m 

Of sunshine, oft a casual ray 
Breaks in upon a cloudy day. 
O'erwhehned with "wo, methinks 
I see, a ray of hope thus dart on me. 
Close at my door, on my own land, 
Placed there it seems, by your command, 
I've seen, I own with some surprise, 
A novel structure sudden rise. 
I would not if I could restrain, 
A moral star/e, yet I would fain. 
Of your indulgence and esteem. 
At least, an equal portion claim. 
And decency, without my prayers, 
Will surely whisper in your ears, 
•To pleasure, if such care you show, 
A mite to duty pray bestow.' 
Say, does my rival boast the art. 
One solid comfort to impart. 
Or heal, like me, the broken heart, 
Does she like me pour forth the strain, 
0/ peace on earth good loill to man? 
Merit she has, but, let me say. 
The highest merit of a play, 
Tho' Shakspeare wrote it, but to name, 
With mine, were want of sense or shame. 
Why should I point to distant times. 
To kindred and congenial climes. 
Where spite of many a host of foes. 
To God a mighty temple rose ? 
Why point to every land beside, 
Whose honest aim it is, a pride. 
However poor it be, yet still. 
At least to make God's house genteel? 
Here in Annapolis alone, 
God has the meanest house in town. 
The premises considered, I 
With humble confidence rely. 
That pbffinix-like, I soon shall rise, 
From m}' own ashes to the skies : 
Your mite at least, that you will paj-. 
And your petitioner shall pray — ." 

The second line it will have been seen, is histori- 
cally incorrect, it was not built by ''private bounty." 

This work had been before the public four years, and 
now at length on the 9th of June, 1772, the vestry 
gave notice, that they would apply to tlie next Gen- 



84 iirsToiircAL notices 

oral Assembly for an assossiiiont of £10.000, to build 
a new cliurcli in Annapolis. 

By a reference to 1742, we may be reminded what 
is here called ''Bladen's palace," "^tlie folly." It is 
at this time, that Eddis speaks of it thus, "it has re- 
mained to tins day, October 4th5 1773, a melancholy 
and mouldering monument of the consequences re- 
sulting from political dissensions. The depredations 
of time have very greatly injured the interior parts 
of this edifice, Avhich in an unfinished state has con- 
tinued many years exposed to the inclemency of the 
weather. However on a late accurate survey, the out- 
side structure and the principal timbers are found in 
a condition so perfect, that it is determined to repair 
the damages sustained, and to apply the building to 
the pur})oses of collegiate education, for which every 
circumstance contributes to render it truly eligible." 
This determination however was not carried out for 
fifteen years. 

Another thing nevertheless was determined at the 
December session of the General Assembly, Hanson, 
chapter, 28th, and that was, to take away one fourth 
of each clergyman's support, by reducing the 401b. 
per poll to 30. This bore hard on parishes like St. 
Ann's. It cut oft' in the parish more than $200, when 
before it was but little over $800. Had this been pros- 
pective, in reference to clergymen afterwards to be 
settled in parishes, it might have been just, but how 
could it be considered to be so, in the case of those al- 
ready settled. 

On the 15th of March, 1774, it was ordered by the 
vestry, that the Rev. Mr. Montgomery wait on John 
Ridout, Esq. , for the various accounts of public money 
expended in building a glebe house in this city. This 
item in the records, doubtless shows when the pres- 
ent parsonage of St. Ann's church was built. 

Two years had passed away since the vestry deci- 



OF ST. ANN'S PAPJSn. 85 

cled to ask an assessment for building a new cluirehj 
and now at length, at its March session, Hanson, 
chapter 11, 1V74, the G-eneral Assembly appointed 
John Ridout, Samuel Chase, William Paca, Upton 
Scott and Thomas Hyde, trustees ibr building in An- 
napolis an elegant churchy to be adorned with a stee- 
ple. The old church was to be taken down, and the 
centre of it, to be the centre of the new one. It was 
su]3posed, it Avould cost the £3,000 already subscrib- 
ed, £1,500 to be received from the commissioners of 
the loan office, and 160,000 lbs. of tobacco to be le- 
vied on the parish. In return for the £1,500^ there 
was to be provided a pew for the Governor, a large 
one for the Council, one for the Speaker, all to be 
properly ornamented, and other pews for the mem- 
bers of the Lower House, one for the Judges of the 
Provincial Court, and one for strangers. One was to 
be for the Incumbent, one for the wardens, and two 
for the provincial juries. When completed, the sub- 
scribers were to choose their pews, preference being- 
given to the largest subscribers, no one being enti- 
tled to a pew subscribing less than £20. Then, 20 
pews were to be sold to the parishioners by auction. 
There was to be a common gallery for the parishion- 
ers, one for servants, and another for slaves. 

January 5th, 1775. At their meeting this day, 
the vestry refused Mr. Montgomery, to pay him for 
the improvements which he had put up on the ves- 
try's lot. AVhether it was owing to this refusal, or 
to some other cause, this was the last meeting at 
which his name is found recorded. He seems to have 
resigned immediately. 

Very soon after this, he became the rector of South 
Sassafras, or Shrewsbury Parish, Kent County, where 
he continued three years. Whether at the end of 
that time he died, or went to England has not been 
ascertained. 

8 



86 HISTORICAL NOTICES 



KEV. THOMAS LEKDEUM, Twenty- fiest Incum- 
bent. 



Eleven days after the last mentioned meeting of 
the vestry, January 16th, 1Y75, Mr. Lendrnm pre- 
sented his letters of induction trom Gov. Eden. Mr. 
Lendrum had been ordained February 2nd, 1*773, by 
the Bishop of Limerick, Ardfert and Aghadoe, His 
letters of orders are mentioned as having been record- 
ed in another book, than that of the record of the ves-^ 
try's proceedings. There were then consequently this, 
and the treasurer's book of a former day, not now in 
their possession. He was licensed by the Bishop of 
London, February 2nd, 1773. Where he had been 
from this date, to that of his becoming the incumbent 
here_, we do not learn. 

At the vestry's meeting of March the 7th, the or- 
gan was directed to be taken down and packed up in 
boxes. The work thus of preparing for the erection 
of a new church edifice was now commenced. 

Still the old church was occupied, for it was not 
till the 5th of June, that steps were taken for hold- 
ing public worship elsewhere, and then the vestry 
agreed that the play house (theatre) should be fitted 
up for a place of divine service. On the 5th of Sep- 
tember following, the vestry agreed to allow £20 a 
year for the use of the play house as a church. The 
organ had again been put up, and Mr. Woodcock was 
allowed £30 a year as organist. The old church 
Avas soon level with the ground. 

But these were the times of vengeance. The war 
trumpet had now blown its blast. Ticonderoga and 
Crown Point had been taken from the British, the 
battle of Bunker Hill had been fought, and Wash- 



OF ST. axn's parish. 87 

ington had taken command of the American Armies. 
And unsparing censure and condemnation fell on 
those who dissented from the popular opinion of the 
day. Annapolis had already presented scenes of riot 
and confusion. The country was in commotion, ag- 
riculture and commerce were at a stand^,- and marks 
of distress were imprinted on every countenance, 
and every face was darkened with anxiety and 
suspicion. Mutual confidence was destroyed. Po- 
litical prejudices erased the remembrance of former 
attachments, and friends and kindred forgot the en- 
dearing bonds of amity and love. Such was the 
testimony of an eye-witness. And wdiat was the 
effect here? On the 21st of November Eddis writes: 
^^ Annapolis is daily more and more deserted; some 
families have quitted us, from an apprehension of a 
bombardment, others on account of the distressed 
times, bad markets and a general scarcity of money. 
Even tradesmen and mechanics have quitted their 
habitations and are retired from the vicinity of navi- 
gable waters. Agriculture is neglected, and the mil- 
itary science is the universal study." And on the 
1st January, 1776, he writes: ^^Our harbors, our riv- 
ers are deserted. The cheerful sound of industry is 
heard no more, activity is only exerted in warlike 
preparations, every visage is clouded with apprehen- 
sion." Where was the church? 

On the 4tli of July the Colonies declared themselves 
free and independant, and on the 14th of August, 
the convention of the delegates of the counties and 
cities of Maryland met here, to form a State Consti- 
tution. The next day, the Rev. Mr. Lendrum was 
desired to read prayers before the Convention, at 9 
o'clock A. M., during the session, and Mr. Paca was 
directed to wait on him for that purpose. 

At that convention, the act of religion of 1692 as 
finally established in 1702, was repealed, having ex- 



88 HISTORICAL NOTICES 

isted more than eighty years. From the following 
November, therefore, the clergy of the church of Eng- 
land in Maryland ceased to receive any legal support. 
And Mr. Lendrum's last meeting in the vestry was 
in that month. He is not mentioned after that in 
the vestry's records, or in any other documents which 
have been examined. We learn, however, that he 
married in Annaj^olis, that on leaving it he removed 
to Virginia or North Carolina, and there died, leaving 
a family, among which was Capt. Lendrum. So end- 
ed the last rectorship, under the establishment, of the 
Parish of St. Ann's. 

Were the Records of King William's school in ex- 
istence, more, doubtless, could be learned of several of 
the clergy, who have been mentioned, who probably 
were connected with that institution. Their loss 
therefore is much to be regretted. 

It was now a dark day for the church in Annapo- 
lis. Her church edifice had been taken down_, her 
congregation scattered, her minister deprived of his 
support, and the Parish was vacant ! 

In the last twenty-six years, St. Ann's had had 
the services of elcA^en clergymen, not averaging two 
and a half years, to each one, yet no one of them had 
died while in the service of the parish. It seems to 
have been the Point Look-out of the church in the 
Province. All save one had continued in the parishes 
of which they became the incumbents on their leav- 
ing here, till their death, or till the present time. 
Malcolm, Keene and Boucher were certainly eminent 
in their profession. One was indeed a bad man, and 
perhaps two others were of doubtful character. But 
Myers,- McPherson, Edmiston, Montgomery and T. 
Lendrum all were of fair, if not of excellent standing. 
Still, what had been gained for the church ? The 
population of the parish had increased probably one 
third during the period under review, and wealth also 



OF ST. Ann's parish. 89 

had increased. But the theatre had heen introduced, 



and horse-racing, card-playing, dancing and drink- 
ing had become unrestrained, and Governors and of- 
fice-hoklers had upheld and patronized them^ not less 
than did the Proprietaries themselves, and the church 
had shown itself powerless. And noio, it was in the 
dust, a time of retribution had come, and every thing 
was dark. 



REV. THOMAS EEAD, Twenty-fifth Minister. 



Mr. Read w^as a native of Matthew's County, Vir- 
ginia, born March 17th, 1748. He was ordained dea- 
con by the Bishop of London in 1771, and licensed 
by the same for Maryland, February 2nd, 1773. 
Soon after his return he appears to have been curate 
in Prince George's Parish, now in Montgomery 
County. 

On Easter Monday, 1777, as the records state, Mr. 
Read made application to the vestry, for their appro- 
bation to officiate as minister of this parish, which 
was granted. No one can read this record and not be 
sensible of change. Before this, the vestry had nothing 
to do but to receive submissively the minister, who 
came with authority to receive their support and offi- 
ciate among them. Now, the authority to appoint 
had passed into their hands; and of the amount to be 
given, they w^ere the determiners. The clergy had 
I)assed from their independent position, into the pow- 
er of vestries and the laity, a change which they were 
soon made to feel. 

Mr. Read did not continue to officiate here long, 
but soon went to Prince George's Parish, Montgom- 
ery County _, where he continued to the end of his long 
8* 



PO HISTORICAL NOTICES 

life. He died January 5tli, 1838, a-t. 90. During 
his last 20 years, lie had ceased to officiate. From 
1790 for fifteen years, he was a member of the stand- 
ing committee, and in 1798 preached the convention 
sermon. He is remembered as a mild, pious, indus- 
trious, venerable man. 

During this year, there is the record of a baptism 
b}'' the Rev. Mr. Braithwaite, who was licensed for 
Maryland January 6th, 1776, by the Bishop of Lon- 
don, and was the last one so licensed. But we find 
his name nowhere else mentioned. 



REV. WILLIAM HANNA Twenty-sixth Minister. 



At the next meeting of the vestry recorded, it is 
without date, it is stated, that the Rev. Mr. Hanna 
applied for permission to officiate as minister of this 
parish, which was granted. 

Mr. Hanna was educated at Dr. Finlay's Academy, 
IsTottingham, Prince George's County, Md., and re- 
ceived his degree from Princeton, 1759. He was the 
first Presbyterian Minister in the church in Albany, 
N. Y., where he continued five years. He then left 
that ministry, and was admitted a member of the bar 
in 1767. But about 1772, he conformed to the church, 
and went to England for orders. He was according- 
ly ordained, and licensed for Virginia, June 11th, 
1772. In 1778 he came from Virginia to Westmin- 
ter Parish, and took charge there. And it is proba- 
ble, that it was soon after that his application was 
made to St. Ann's vestry. But he did not officiate 
long. 

There appears to have been no meeting of the ves- 
try after the one above mentioned, till June 7th, 



OF ST. Ann's PAEisn. 91 

1779, when a select vestry was chosen, agreeahly to 
the Act of tlie Assembly of the proceeding March, 
called the ''Act for the establishment of select ves- 
tries." Hanson, chapter 9th, 1779. The members 
elected subscribed the oath of fidelity to the Govern- 
ment, as required; and a subscription was opened for 
the support of a minister. 

On the 11th of November occurs this entry: The 
parish being without a minister, and the vestry hav- 
ing no means of procuring one, it was unanimously 
agreed, that Mr. Hanna have all the benefits of the 
glebe land, (being £11. 5s. as before shown_,) and the 
house he now lias, in the city of Annapolis, for one 
year from date, or until the parish can otherwise pro- 
vide a clergyman, Mr. Hanna preaching in the city 
every third Sunday, provided a proper place can be 
had, and on his attending all funerals and baptizing 
all children in the parish, when requested by the pa- 
rishioners. 

It appears from this, that although not considered 
the minister of the parish previous to this, he was re- 
siding in the city, and occupying the parsonage. Di- 
vine service it seems was now held in the free school. 
King William's, as before called. 

On December 28th, 1785, we have this minute, Mr. 
James Einggold was requested to pay Mrs. Hanna, 
widow, and administratrix of the Rev. Mr. Hanna 
deceased, £8.8.9. currency, out of the rents of the 
leased ground to be received by him, for his officia- 
ting as a clergymen of this parish for nine months, 
from November, 1779 to August, 1780, agreeable to 
contract. This was not very punctual on the j^art of 
the vestry it must be admitted, six years having pass- 
ed away since he left. 

It thus appears, that he ceased to be minister here 
in August, 1780. But he continued to be the minis- 



HISTORICAL NOTICES 



ter of Westminster parish till his death, which took 
place March 25th, 1784. 

He left behind him a widow as the above statement 
shows, but whether any children is not stated. 



KEY. THOMAS GATES, Twenty-seventh Minister. 



From August, 1T80, for near a year there appears 
to have been no parish minister. And it is only from 
a document of subsequent date, that we learn that on 
the 14tli of July, 1781 Mr. Gates an English clergj^- 
man became the ministe jhere, on asalary of £200 — 
$532, raised by subscription. 

In the years 1781, 1782, 1783 and 1784, it ap- 
pears that the vestry met only at Easter, and that 
then no record was made of what they did. 

On the 16th of July, 1784, we find the following: 
Thomas Jennings gave notice, that he would continue 
his subscription no longer, also Col. James Price, 
Col. Tootell and Thomas Johnson. On the 17th Col. 
William Hyde and John Bullen gave the same no- 
tice. Mr. Goldsmith was now appointed to collect 
subscriptions, and J. Brice was directed to pay them 
over to Mr. Gates, so much as would make up, with 
the money already received by said Gates, £200 a 
year, for three years from July 14th, 1781. And now 
Mr. James Ringgold, William Goldsmith and Cor- 
nelius Mills take their names off the subscription-list 
for a minister. 

On the 17th therefore, the following letter was 
written to Mr. Gates: '^Many of the subscribers for 
the support of a minister of this parish, have discon- 
tinued their subscriptions, a list of which you have 
endorsed. We believe the reason of most withdraw- 



OF ST. Ann's parish. 93 

ing their subscription is, their having subscribed more 
than they are well able to pay. However, that was 
Assigned by several of them. As you are going to 
the Warm Springs, and it has been reported that if 
your health is not soon re-established, you intend to 
leave the continent, we wish to know under all the 
circumstances if you mean to continue as minister of 
this parish after this year ; that if you do not, we 
may have the opportunity of engaging another in 
time. Signed, J. Brice^ T. Johnson Jr., J. Ring- 
gold, T. Hyde." 

August 17th, Rev. R. Higginbotham was appoint- 
ed Master of King William's school. 

On the 20th of June previous, there had been held 
in this city, the first convention of the clergy and lay 
delegates of the parishes of the State, at which some 
fundamental principles were agreed to, and some pro- 
gress made towards the reorganization of the church 
in Maryland. 

Whether this movement of the church in Mary- 
land, had any influence in waking up an interest in 
church matters here, we know not; but now it was that 
the first movement was made tov/ards re-building the 
church, after nine years were past from the time when 
the old one was taken down, but the only thing that 
was now done, was to advertise in the Maryland 
Gazette, for the bricks, of which the church was to be 
built, which had been taken away to be returned. 
This was done by the trustees originally appointed by 
the General Assembly to carry out the work of build- 
ing a new church. 

It will be perceived that the names signed to tlxe 
letter addressed Mr. Gates, were the same that had 
been withdrawn from the subscri[)tion-list, and that 
they do not ask him to remain. This way of getting 
rid of a minister, though sometimes adopted, is cer- 



94 HISTORICAL NOTICES 

tainly of very questionable propriety. But Mr, Gates 
does not appear to have answered it. 

At the November session of the General Assembly, 
1784, Hanson 37, a college was established on the 
Western 8hore, by the name of St. John's, having no 
religious test, with a Principal, Vice-Principal, Pro- 
fessors, Masters, Tutors, &c., irrespective of their re- 
ligious profession. And the Rev. John Carroll, D. 
D., Roman Catholic, Rev. William Smith D. D., 
Protestant Epis., and the Rev. Patrick Allison D. 
D., Presbyterian, Richard Sprigg P. E., John Ster- 
ett Presbyterian, and George Digges R. C.,were ap- 
pointed soliciting agents for subscriptions, for this 
and Washington College, Kent County. The two, 
to be called the University of Maryland. 

On the 21st February, 1785, the vestry declared 
the parish vacant. The question then came up, shall 
Mr. Gates, or Mr. Higginbotham be appointed to the 
parish. Mr. Gates had one vote, that of Mr. Ring- 
gold, and Mr. Higginbotham had the other six, and 
was consequently elected. 

Mr. Gates then removed from Annapolis and be- 
came the Rector of St. Peter's Parish, Talbot County, 
where he appears to have remained five years. In 
1789 he was a member of the standing committee, af- 
ter which it appears that he removed to South Caro- 
lina. There he married and remained till his death. 



REY. RALPH HIGGINBOTHAM, Rectok— Twen- 
ty-eighth Minister. 



Mr. Higginbotham was a native of Waterford, Ire- 
land, and a graduate of Trinity College, Dublin. 
He was ordained priest by the Bishop of Waterford 



OF ST. ANN S PARISH. 95 

and Lismore, March 12tli, 1774, in the church of St. 
Patrick, in the city of Waterford, and was now, by 
the election of the vestry, the Kector of this Parish, 
as well as Master of King William's School. 

On the 28th of February, Mr. Higginbotham pro- 
duced his letters of orders and entered on the Kector- 
ship 'of the parish. 

March 28th the vestry requested Messrs. Einggold 
and Tootell to have the bell hung. 

In April of this year, is found the last entry in the 
ministerial records. 

On the 18th of April, thd vestry directed their reg- 
ister to write to the trustees for building the church, 
and he accordingly wrote as follows: — 

"The vestrymen of St. Ann's Parish, Annapolis, 
have directed me to request the favor of you to ren- 
der an account of the monies levied and raised for 
building a church in this city. I am gentlemen, 
your obliged servant, Thomas Pryse, Kegister." 

Thus again, another year having nearly passed 
away, the matter of building a new church had come 
into mind. 

On account of the negligence in paying Mr. Gates* 
salary, on the 6th of June, warrants were directed 
against all refusing to pay their subscription of July 
17th, 1781. But the warrants were not issued. On 
the 14th of July however, Col. A. Chisholm, Wm. 
Wilkins, Wm. Paris, J. Brewer, J. Maccubin and 
J. West, were selected by ballot from the rest of the 
subscribers, to be warranted in order to settle the dis- 
pute by a legal decision. What the grounds of dis- 
pute Avere, is not stated. 

December 20th, the sexton was authorized to re- 
ceive for digging a grave and attending a funeral 15s. 
and for a grave vaulted 22s. 6d. 

By an Act of Assembly, November session, 1785, 
chapter 39, Kilty, the I'unds and property were trans- 



96 HISTORICAL NOTICES 

ferred from King William's schoolj to the visitors and 
governors of St. John's College. 

In 1784, the vestry as we have seen, had adver- 
tised for the materials for building the church which 
had been taketi away, to be returned. But two years 
w^ere now passed away, and it had not been done. So 
on the 8th of March, 1786, see Kilty, November ses- 
sion, 1785, chapter 44. The G-eneral Assembly pass- 
ed an act, which after mentioning, that the trustees 
appointed by the Act of 1774 for building a new 
church were prevented from proceeding therein by the 
commencement of the war, they were now empower- 
ed to proceed, compelling those who had taken away 
materials to account and pay for them, and in consid- 
eration that several of the original subscribers to a 
considerable amount had died and removed, author- 
izing a new subscription and cancelling the old one. 
Thus, so much was now accomplished, and as the 
matter of building the new church was in the hands 
of trustees appointed by the General Assembly, no 
account of the progress of the work is found in the 
vestry's records. 

At the May session of the General Assembly, 1786, 
chapter 16, a supplementary act for the building 
the new church, states, that in 1774, the trustees 
then appointed, were directed to build an elegant 
church &c., at the estimated cost of £6,000 currency^ 
one half to be raised by subscription, and the other 
to be paid by the public and the parishioners equally, 
that the trustees purchased a large amount of mate- 
rials, whicli during the war were taken away, partly 
by individuals, and partly by order of the Council for 
the construction of batteries and barracks, and the 
work was suspended, that according to a subsequent 
act, a new subscription had been raised, amounting 
to £3,450, and that the estimated amount of materi- 
als taken by order of the Council of safety was £742. 



OF ST. Ann's parish. 9T 

15. This was ordered to bo paid with interest. And 
others having taken away materials, were to have 
suits entered against them for the same with dama- 
ges and costs, and new subscribers also who had not 
paid their subscriptions. 

May 5th, 1788, a letter was received from St. Paul's 
vestry, Baltimore, urging the appointment of a del- 
egate to the convention of the Diocese, to be held in 
Baltimore, on the fourth Tuesday of this month ; Mr. 
Brooke Hodgkin was appointed ; but he did not at- 
tend, Mr. Joseph Clark however, attended in his 
place. 

Originally in the plan of building, a handsome 
steeple had been designed, but the subscribers now 
thought it might be dispensed with, and so wrote to 
the trustees. The trustees however, determined to 
carry up the tower so high as to place the bell there- 
in, and made this statement of their funds : — 

Due the trustees on claims that can- 
not be disputed, - - - £2,043.07.6. 
Due on accounts already settled, 448.19.5. 

And they had further claims for materials carried 
away, and on the sheriffs of the County, for 100,000. 
lbs. Tobacco, ordered by act of the Assembly to have 
been collected in 1775 and 1776. 

This is dated September 5th, 1788^ and signed 
by William Paca, John Ridout, Upton Scott, Thom- 
as Hyde. They were the surviving trustees. 

On the 11th of November, 1789, St. John's Col- 
lege was opened and dedicated with much solemni- 
ty, in the presence of a numerous and respectable con- 
course of people. The members of the General As- 
sembly, the chancellor, judges of the General Court, 
the gentlemen of the bar, the corporate authorities of 
the citv, and the principal inhabitants preceeded by 
9 



98 HISTORICAL NOTIC'ES 

the students and faculty, and governors and visitors 
of the college, Avalked in procession from the State 
House to the college hall. 

An eloquent sermon, well adapted to the occasion 
was preached by the Eev. Dr. William Smith, Avho 
presided for the day. An oration was also delivered 
by the Eev. Ralph Higginbotham, on the advantages 
of a classical education. 

As keeping in memory the property of the parish, 
it ma:y be mentioned, that on the 8tli of March, 1*790, 
Mr. Ringgold was appointed by the vestry, to settle 
with Mr. Daniel Dulaney and Capt. John Pitts for 
their dues on the glebe lands. 

At the December session of the General Assembly, 
Kilty, chapter 47, 1790, an Act was passed, in which 
it appears that the whole money subscribed for build- 
ing the new^ church, had been expended, and that the 
church was yet unfinished. Charles Wallace, James 
Brice, and Major John Davidson therefore, were em- 
powered to Q-pen a new subscription and j^roceed to 
the finishing the same, as originally directed. 

This year, Mr. John Randall was appointed dele- 
gate to the convention of the Diocese, as also in the 
year following, 1791. 

The church was now, eighteen years having pass- 
ed away since it was first iDCgun, at length comple- 
ted ; and on 

Sunday, November 24th, 1792, it was consecrated 
and set apart to the service and worship of Almighty 
God, by the Right Rev. Thomas John Claggett, D. 
D.^ Bishop of the Diocese. He had been consecrated 
to the Episcopate of Maryland, on September 13th, 
preceding at N'Sw York. He was the fifth Bishop 
in the United States. 

In December, an Act of the Assembly vras passed, 
enabling the trustees to provide for the subscribers 
choosing their pews in the church. This was accord- 



OF ST. AXX S PARISH. 



99 



ingly done, and as recorded July 13th, 1797 
2)ews were held as follows: — 



the 



1 John Bogers, 

2 John Kandall, 

3 Nicholas Carroll, 

4 James Brice, 

5 John E. Howard, 

6 Christ'r. Bichmond, 

7 Gen. John Davidson, 

8 Band. B. Latimer, 

9 Thomas Harwood, 

10 The Parson's Pew, 

11 Alexander and Long. 

12 Upton Scott, 

13 Daniel Wells, 

14 The Church Wardens, 

15 John Shaw, 

16 Bichard Owen, 

17 Thomas D. Merick, 

18 Strangers Pew, 

19 John F. Mercer, 

20 Benjamin Fairhurn. 

21 John Welsh, 

22 Jurymen's Pew, 

23 " '' 

24: Gen. Assembly's Pew, 

25 '' '' '' 

26 '^ ^^ ^^ 

27 President of Senate 

and Speaker of the 
House, 

28 Judgesof Gen. Court_, 

29 William Campbell, 
.30 William Cook, 

31 Dr. James Murray, 

32 Thomas Stone, 



33 Thomas Hyde, 

34 George Mann, 

35 Benjamin Ogle, 

36 Mary Dulany, 

37 John Bidout, 

38 Elizabeth Bordley, 

39 Charles Wallace, 

40 Bichard Sprigg, 

41 Joshua Frazier, 

42 James Maccubin, -^X 

43 Captain James Smith, 

44 John H. Stone, 

45 Thomas B. Hodgkin. 

46 John Hall, 

47 Charles Maccubin, v 

48 Nicholas Brewer, 

49 John Brice, 

50 Philip B. Key, 

51 James Binggold, 

52 Jeremiah T. Chase^ 

53 John Addison, now 

J. Davidson, 

54 Daniel of St. Thomas 

Jenifer, 

55 John Callahan, 

56 William Hammond, 

57 Matthias Hammond, 
5"8 Edward Lloyd, 

59 Thomas Jennings, 

60 William Smallwood. 

61 Council's Pew, 

62 Governor's '' 

63 Gen. Assembly's pew, 

(34 cc cc a 



100 



HISTORICAL NOTICES 



65 Gen. Assembly's pew, 

66 Jurymen's '^ 

67 ''■ ^' 

68 John Wells, 

69 Archibald Golden, 

70 William Coe, 

71 Abraham Claude, 

72 John Johnson, 

73 Henry Sibell, 

74 Frederick Grammar, 

75 Joseph Williams, 

76 James Carroll, 

77 Archibald Chisholm, 

78 Thomas Wilson, 

79 Thomas Callahan, 

80 Lewis Neth, 

81 John Pitt, 

82 William Goldsmith, 

83 Nich. Worthington, 

84 Nich. Harwood, 

85 William Paca, 

86 John Muir, 

87 Bachelors' Pew. 

88 Gabriel Duvall, 

89 Beriah Mayberry, 

90 Joseph Clark, 

91 Vacant, 
92 

93 Allen Quinn, 

94 William Wilkins, 



95 Vacant, 

96 Bachelors, 

97 James Williams, 

98 Vacant, 

99 Kichard Maccubin,^' 

100 Absalom Kidgely, 

101 Vacant, 

102 John Brewer, 

103 Gilbert Middleton, 

104 Vacant, 

105 Stephen Clark. 

106 Jas. McDowell, 

107 Benjamin Harwood, 

108 Joseph Maccubin, -. 

109 Vacant, 

110 Frederick Green, 

111 John Petty, 

112 Vacant, 

113 A. C. Hanson, 

114 Thomas Johnson, Jr. 

115 Vacant, 

116 Wm. Whetcroft, 

117 John Quinn, 

118 Vacant, ^ 

119 Mch. Maccubin, -^ 

120 Charles Carroll of 

CarroUton, 

121 Thomas Price. 

122 Vacant. 



The church is 110 feet long, by 90 broad, having a 
tower, and pilasters on the walls outside, dividing it 
into panels; inside, it is frescoed. 

April 1st, 1793, Henry Whetcroft, Register, was 
requested to purchase a folio bound blank book, for 
the recording marriages, births, burials, &c. What 



OF ST. ANX'S PARISH. 101 

has become of that book ? James Williams was then 
appointed delegate to the diocesan convention and to 
that, too, of 1794, and was present. 

In 1795 Jonathan Wilmer was appointed and at- 
tended. 

In 1796 Samuel Kidout was appointed and went. 

In 1797 Henry Ridgely was aj^pointed but did not 
attend. For ten or eleven years following^ none were 
appointed and consequently the parish was not repre- 
sented in Convention, nor did Mr. Higginbotham 
himself attend. Religious matters in the parish seem 
to have attracted very little interest. 

The Rev. Dr. Bend, the Rector of St. Paul's, Balti- 
more, a member of the standing committee, was at 
this time a visiter of the churches and parishes under 
the canon then existing, of Baltimore and Ann Arun- 
del Counties. On the 7th of June he reports to the 
Bishop, that he appointed May the 8th, to preach in 
St. Ann's in the afternoon. But Mr. Higginbotham 
objected, as it was not customary [to have service in 
that part of the day] and did not wish any innova- 
tions. The Doctor then appointed half past 6 o'clock, 
P. M. to meet the vestry, but not one came. 

Although it had not been customary to have ser- 
vice in the afternoon of the sabbath, it seems that it 
was desired that there should be, and consequently 
on the 13th of July, 1^97, the vestry requested Mr. 
Higginbotham to perform divine service on Sunday 
afternoons. The congregation thus appear to have 
been more in earnest about the worship of God, at 
that hour, than was the Rector himself. That in a 
city church, there should have been no second service 
on the Sabbath, shows certainly a very great indif- 
ference in the performance of religious duties, and an 
undervaluing of christian privileges. 

John Jacob Tschudy, in 1799, was Register and 
clerk, and was afterwards, in 1807, ordained to the 
9* 



102 HISTORICAL NOTICES 

ministry by Bishop Claggett, and settled inS. C. where 
he became Rector of a parish, and died there. 

In 1800j the vestry enforced the lines which the 
law imposed on those who refused to serve as vestry- 
men, showing how little interest some of the laity 
then took in church matters. 

July 23d, 1801, the Register was ordered to get 
a book, to register the names of the churchmen of the 
parish in, a canon of that day requiring it. It would 
be an interesting document could it now be found. 

On the 27th of February, 1804, Mr. Higginbotham 
resigned St. Ann's Parish, after having been its rec- 
tor nineteen years. 

He continued to be the Vice-Principal of St. John's 
College, till liis death, which took place in 1813, 
April 31st. He left two sons and two daughters. 

As a scholar, he is remembered as one of high or- 
der, but as a clergyman his reputation suffered ma- 
terially from his irregular habits. He was unques- 
tionably more devoted to his professorship in the col- 
lege, than to his rectorship in the church. How much 
of this was owing to his being compelled to derive 
his support from the former may readily be imagined, 
and the parish certainly had no right to complain. 



REV. WILLIAM DUKE, Twenty-ninth Minister 



On the same day that Mr. Higginbotham' s resig- 
nation was accepted, February 7th, 1804, the Rev. 
William Duke was appointed by the vestry to the 
Rectorshij) of the parish. 

Mr. Duke was a native of Patapsco neck^ Balti- 
more County, and born in 1757. At the age of six- 
teen, he became a licensed exhorter among the Meth- 



OF ST. Ann's parish. 103 

odists, who had then recently made their appearance 
in Maryland, and in the subsequent years was ap- 
pointed to travel in various parts of Virginia, Penn- 
sylvania and this State. But in 1779, ^'he desisted 
Irom travelling" as the minutes of the conference 
state, and was emj^loyed for five years in teaching in 
the families in which he successively was engaged. 
In 1784, when the Methodists constituted themselves 
into a church, Mr. Duke left them, and in the follow- 
ing year, was admitted to orders by Bishop Seahury 
of Connecticut. There was then no other Bishop in 
the United States. For the six following years he 
was minister in Queen Caroline Parish, Ann Arun- 
del County, and St. Paul's, Prince George's, where 
he became the intimate friend of Bishop Claggett, as 
he did soon afterwards of Dr. Bend's while officiating 
for a year in St. Paul's Chapel, in his own native 
neighborhood. Meanwhile, he had published an oc- 
tavo pamphlet, called Thoughts on Kepentance. He 
then became the Rector of the North West Parish of 
Cecil County, and married the daughter of his pre- 
decessor in the parish. About this time he published 
a volume called a Clew to Truth, a small volume of 
Hymns and Poems, a pamphlet on education, and an- 
other on the State of Religion in Maryland. In 1797, 
having lost his wife, he removed and took charge of 
Westminster Parish, but his health failing him, he 
accepted a home in Gov. Lloyd's family in Kent 
County, and officiated occasionally in the church in 
that neighborhood, but soon returned to Cecil. At 
length in 1803 at the solicitation of Bishop Claggett, 
he accepted the appointment of professor of the 
Languages, in St. John's College in Annapolis. Soon 
after which, he was elected as before stated, the Rec- 
tor of the Parish. He was the first pastor which the 
parish had had that was ordained in the United 
States. 



104 HISTORICAL NOTICES 

The entries of the vestry's records as we have seen, 
furnished little, for some time past worth noticing, 
so now — and the only note made by the examiner 
during the present rectorship is one of Act. 14, 1805, 
stating that a pamphlet containing the canons, &c., 
of the General and Maryland Conventions, with a 
short address had been published by the Diocesan 
Convention, and one hundred copies had been sent to 
the vestry lor which they ordered |4 to be returned. 

In 1806 the General Assembly at its November 
term, Maxy, chapter 85, withdrew the funds origi- 
nally appropriated to St. John's College, and the in- 
stitution was thereby broken up. Consequently, Mr. 
Duke resigned his rectorship, and returned to Cecil. 
In 1811, at the earnest solicitation of the Bishop and 
others, Mr. Duke became the Principal of Charlotte 
Hall School, St. Mary's County. But after two years 
he returned again to Cecil, where he took charge of 
the Academy at Elkton, and performed the duties of 
his ministry there statedly. He was a large con- 
tributor to the periodicals of his day. But was al- 
ways a man of feeble health, still he lived on to the 
age of 83, dying in 1840. He left behind him a daugh- 
ter who still survives him. He was an extensively 
learned man, and a faithful and evangelical preacher. 
He was often a member of the Standing Committee 
and preached the Convention Sermon in 1*797. The 
valuable remains of his library have been presented 
by his daughter to St. James's College, consisting of 
about 500 volumes. 



REV. WILLIAM L. GIBSON, Thirtieth Minister. 



Mr. Gibson was elected by the vestry, April 28th 
1806. He was a native of Kent County, and was or^ 



OF ST. ANif'S PARISH. 105 

dallied to the work of the ministry by Bishop White, 
in A|)i'il, 180i, and took charge of a parish in Dela- 
ware. 

He remained rector of St. Ann's parish but a year, 
during which time, January 1, 1807, the vestry closed 
up the vacancy in the church with plank, and on 
the 2nd of February ordered a sounding board to be 
hung over the pulpit. 

Mr. Gibson on leaving here, took charge of Christ 
Church, Alexandria, Virginia. In 1812, he had the 
charge of St. John's Havre de Grace. In 1813, St. 
Peter's, Montgomery. In 1814, he became the Eec- 
tor of Queen Anne's, Prince George's. In 1818, he 
was subjected to an ecclesiastical trial on the charge 
of intemperance, and was censured by the court. But 
on being released therefrom by the Bishop, he became 
in 1819, the Rector of All Hallow's Ann Arundel. 
In the year following — feeling himself much aggriev- 
ed, by what he was pleased to call persecution in the 
church, he left it, and was displaced from the minis- 
try. He then connected himself with the Methodists, 
and subsecxuently with the Lutherans. Becoming at 
length, very infirm, he took up his residence in Reis- 
terstown, Baltimore County, where he died in 1845, 
leaving a widow who still survives him. He was held 
to be a very eloquent and faithful preacher, but la- 
bored under a diseased nervous constitution, and suf- 
fered much from morbid sensibility, and was at times 
undoubtedly deranged. Physicians held this to be 
the cause of all the censures which he brought upon 
liimself. 

At a meeting of the vestry May 5, 1807, an effort 
was made to elect Mr. Higginbotham again, but he 
w^as negatived by five to two of the members present. 
It was tlien ordered that a minister be advertised for 
in the Maryland Gazette and Baltimore American for 
three successive weeks. This was a mode not uufre- 
quently adopted at that time by vacant parishes, in 



106 HISTORICAL NOTICES 

order to obtain a minister. Seeing this, letters came 
before the vestry, from Dr. Hobart of ]Sl"ew York, and 
Dr. Bend of Baltimore on the first of September, re- 
commending the 



KEV. BETHEL JUDD, D. D. , Thirty-first Mixistee. 



Who was that day unanimously elected. The next 
day at a meeting of the vestry, a subscription was or- 
dered, and Messrs. Samuel Kidout^ James Williams, 
John Muir and Jonathan Pinkney were appointed to 
solicit it. They agreed that the subscription should 
be made up to $700 but they would not be answera- 
ble for its collection. Nevertheless under these terms, 
Mr. Judd accepted. He was from Connecticut and 
had been ordained deacon by Bishop Jarvis of Con- 
necticut, September 30th, 1798. But before being 
ordained priest, he appears to have removed to New 
York, and from thence came here. 

As showing how the glebe lots had changed hands, 
we find that on the 6th of October, there w^as ground 
rents due from Messrs. Davidson, Dulaney, and Gol- 
den. 

July 15th, 1809, Mr. Judd made application to the 
vestry, to have the glebe house repaired at his own 
expense, not to exceed |200, he paying 20 j)er cent, 
on the $200 per year. This was granted. 

On the 17th November, 1810, a committee was ap- 
pointed, to consider whether the leases of 1747 should 
he renewed. On the 24th, Allen Quinn applied for 
the renewal of the one held by him, which was origi- 
nally Thomas King's, and it was renewed for 21 years 
at £4, 5s. stg. Eleanor Davidson renewed that which 
was formerly William Reynolds; for 21 years at £4. 



OF ST. axn's parish. 107 

stg, per annum, and Priscilla Farris renewed tlie oth- 
er at £4. stg. making £12. 5s. equal to $57.78. 

On the 2od of October, 1811, Mr. Judd gave to the 
vestry his resignation of the parish, which took effect 
at the end of his fourth year. 

Mr . Judd had been very much respected in the church. 
He was a member of the Standing Committee every 
year of his ministry here. In 1810, he had preached 
the Convention Sermon, and in 1811 in the absence 
of the Bishop was the President of the Convention. 

Upon his removal from St. Ann's, he went it is 
said to North Carolina. But in 1818, he had return- 
ed to Connecticut. In 1828 he removed to Ithaca, 
N. Y., before which, he had received the degree of 
D. D. In 1848 he became a missionary to St. Au- 
gustine^ Florida, while residing there on ac- 
count of health. He returned in two years to Western 
N. Y., and is still living at Kochester. 

On the 23d of December, 1811, the vestry directed 
Mr. Ridout, to w^-ite to Bishop Claggett, that $700 
per annum had been raised in the parish for a clergy- 
man for three years; at the same time offering the 
parish to him, or in case he could not accept it, he 
w^as asked to recommend them a minister, and to such 
a one as he would recommend, they would give $500 
per annum. 

The Bishop felt, that on many accounts, it was de- 
sirable he should accept the vestry's offer, but was 
obliged to decline it, knowing that he could not live 
in Annapolis on the salary offered him. The clergy 
had many fears about the parish at this time, and Dr. 
Bend at this date, w^riting to Dr. Kemp said, "De- 
mocracy and Fanaticism will destroy this parish." 
Nevertheless the prophecy proved not true. 

On the 6th of January, 1812, the Rev. Mr. Handy 
of Havre de Grace was elected to the parish by the 
vestry, but he declined their call. 



HISTORICAL NOTICES 

On the 20tli the Eev. Mr. Gibson was offered the 
parish again, but he too declined. Soon after, the 
Rev. Mr. Nind was appointed Eector, but on the 23d 
of March, the parish was declared by the vestry to 
be still vacant, and Mr. Nind was directed to be so 
informed. They gave him however an opportunity 
of making application for it. It was not found so 
easy to fill the vacancy, as they had imagined. And 
the character of those elected, shows that a prodigi- 
ous reaction had come over the parish since Mr. Hig- 
ginbotham's time, in favor of a different ministry 
from his. 

At the next meeting of the vestry, March 30th, the 
Rev. Messrs. Nind, Gibson and Bowen were each 
nominated in that body — and on taking the votes it 
was found that Messrs. J. Pinkney, Golden, Randall 
and Denny, were for Mr. Nind — Messrs. Ridout, N. 
Pinkney and Hyde, were for Mr. Gibson, and A. C. 
Magruder for Mr. Bowen, who was afterwards Bish- 
op of South Carolina. Although Mr. Nind thus at 
first had but half of the votes, he was now declared 
by the vestry to be the Recter elect of the parish. 



REV. WILLIAM NIND, Thirty-second Minister, 



Mr. Nind Avas ordained deacon by Bishop Claggett 
in 1808, and was engaged in teaching an Academy 
in Baltimore. But in 1810, he had become the Rec- 
tor of St. Margaret's^, Westminster parish, across the 
Severn from Annapolis. 

The onl}" entries on the vestries records which we 
have noted as indicatiug what was pa.ssing at the time, 
are the following : — 



OF ST. ANN'S PARISH. 109 

June 10th, 1812, Mr. Nind proposed to have the 
afternoon services at five o'clock instead of half-past 
three^ which shows that there was then such a service. 

July 24th, we learn that a lottery had lately been 
drawn for the benefit of the church, a somewhat fre- 
quent mode at that period, for raising money for 
church purposes. But how the proceeds Avere used is 
not indicated. 

March 14th, 1814, the old play house, (theatre,) 
was rented for the use of a charitable society for £20 
per annum. It seems now to have fallen into the 
hands of the vestry. It stood on ground as we have 
seen, belonging to the parish, and soon after this was 
taken down. The theatre had ceased to flourish and 
be sustained in Annapolis. 

At what precise date, Mr. Nind resigned his charge 
here does not appear, but probably early in 1816, at 
the end of his year. 

Leaving Annapolis, he returned to his Academy 
in Baltimore, and there continued till in 1817, when 
he became rector of St. Stephen's, or North Sassafras 
Parish, Cecil County, There he continued till the 
loth of September, 1822, on which day he died, after 
a short illness, fet. 45. He is remembered as rather 
tall and slender in his person, and very scrupulous 
about his dress. He had a low voice, and a precise 
and somewhat embarrassed manner. He is spoken 
of as an humble and faithful minister of the gospel, 
universally beloved and respected by all who knew 
him. His death was greatly regretted by those over 
whom Providence had placed him in the pastoral 
charge. A widow and six children were left to mourn 
their bereavement. For the four successive years in 
which he was in St. Stephen's, he was one of the 
Standing Committee. Some of his correspondence 
with Bishops Claggett and Kemp still remains. 

10 



110 HISTORICAL NOTICES 

His family removed to Lyons, Wayne County, N. 
Y., and were there in 1824. 



REV. HENRY LYON DAVIS, D. D., Thirty-third 
Minister. 



On the 29th of May, 1815, the Register was direct- 
ed to write to Mr. Davis to ascertain whether he 
would take charge of the parish. But the date of 
his election or acceptance is not recorded. 

Mr. Davis had been educated at Dickinson College, 
Carlisle, Pa., and at the age of nineteen, he was ap- 
pointed there. Professor of the Latin and Greek lan- 
guages. In July, 1796, he became the Vice-Princi- 
pal and teacher of Mathematics at the Charlotte Hall 
School, where he continued till in November, 1802. 
Meanwhile^ in 1796, he had been ordained deacon by 
Claggett, and became the Rector of All Faith Parish, 
St. Mary's County. In 1801, he aj)pears to have had 
the charge of King and Queen Parish in that county. 
In 1802, he became the Rector of Trinity Parish, 
Charles County. In May, 1804, he was in charge of 
St. Stephen's, Cecil, and there continued till the pres- 
ent time, 1815. 

In June, 1816, he appears in Convention, as Rec- 
tor of St. Ann's Parish, and for the first time, the 
number of the Communicants in it appears in the 
journal, it was 37. He was now placed in the Stand- 
ing Committee, as a member from the Western Shore, 
as he had been the previous twelve years from the 
Eastern, and so continued to be for the following 
eleven years. He was also elected for the second time 
delegate to the General Convention and Secretary of 
the Diocesan Convention. On the 22nd of Septem- 



OF ST. Ann's parish. Ill 

ber, 1819, he was married to Miss Jane Winter in 
Fredericktown. Her family it is believed was of his 
parish in Charles County. 

It is noted in the vestry's records April 21st, 1817, 
that Mr. Davis and Col. Maynadier were appointed a 
committee to wait on the parishioners, to obtain sub- 
scriptions to the fund for employing missionaries in 
the Diocese, and for educating young men for the min- 
istry. What their success was we cannot particular- 
ly state, but it is believed to have been very good. 
Thus early was a movement made in this direction. 

At this same date, application was directed to be 
made to the Bishop of the Diocese, to license Alexan- 
der C. Magruder Esq.^ to act as lay reader in the pa- 
rish. He was accordingly appointed, and we learn, 
that he used to officiate regularly every Sunday after- 
ternoon, certainly during 1820 — 1821, by reading 
prayers and a sermon. Sometimes the Eector read 
prayers. Grenerally however, about that period, he 
did not attend in the P. M. Mr. Magruder was now 
also appointed the delegate to the Diocesan Conven-' 
tion, and so indeed he had been with but few inter- 
missions since 1809'. At the Convention of this year 
Messrs. Davis, Magruder, and Tench Tilghman, were 
appointed a committee to prepare and publish an ad- 
dress to the Diocese, for raising funds for the support 
of Missionaries and the endowment of a Theological 
Seminary. This movement originated as we now see, 
in the vestry of St. Ann's. The manuscript of the 
address is in the hand- writing of Mr. Magruder, with 
Mr. Tilghman 's corrections, and is still preserved, 
and shows well how the laity of Maryland then came 
forward to aid in the church's work. 

This year on the 2nd of August, Bishop Claggett 
died, and Bishop Kemp became the Bishop of the 
diocese. 

On the 30th of March, 1818, it was resolved by 



112 HISTORICAL NOTICES 

the vestry, that the fee simple of tlie lot held by the 
Farmer's Bank, be sold for seven shares of bank stock ; 
that sold to T. Brown, be sold to George Shaw for 
five shares of bank stock and $120; that the theatre 
be sold for $1700, and that the vacant pews be also 
sold. The theatre however, could not be sold for the 
sum specified_, and on the 4th of May, it was deter- 
mined to sell it for not less than $600, and that the 
fee simple of the lot be offered to J. Golden for $350, 
being $750 less than was first fixed on. 

Here we part with the vestry's records, not hav- 
ing been able to examine them further down. Nor 
is it very necessary this should have been done, as 
most that it may be desirable to be stated concerning 
the parish, is accessible from other sources, more con- 
venient to be consulted, and furnishing what even 
perhaps need be inserted here. 

In obedience to a call made upon the parishes by 
the Convention of 1819, St. Ann's reported in 1820 
thus : — 

St. Ann's, Ann Arundel, has two houses of wor- 
ship, the one, is about twelve miles from the city of 
Annapolis^ and is not yet completed. (This, was to 
take the place of the old chapel at the head of Sev- 
ern, built in 1730,) it will contain about 150 persons. 
Service is often performed there. We learn from the 
report of the Rev. Henry Aisquith in 1839, that it 
was built principally by churchmen, but that the deed 
gave the Methodists a right of using it half the time. 
It was not built on the site of the old chapel, but a 
mile and a half distant. This was a sad connection, 
as in such cases it always is, and led to its being aban- 
doned, and a new church in its stead, built in 1840, 
near the head of South river. At that time, all the 
adjacent country became an independent parish. 

The church in Annapolis is in good condition. The 
number of the congregation about 250. Here, divine 



or ST. ANX'S PARISH. 113 

service is j^erformed three times a week. The salary of 
the Kector, about §800, is derived principally from 
subscri]3tion. The vestry have about $600, vested in 
bank stock — $535 loaned to an individual, and a 
ground rent of $18.90, making an annual revenue 
from these sources of $86, which constitutes a part of 
the rector's salary. The vestry also hold a dwelling 
house^ garden and separate lot in Annapolis, which 
are occupied by the Rector. 

On the 8th of June, Dr. Davis had resigned the 
parish. He had been the Vice-Principal of St. John's 
College from his coming to Annapolis to 1821. In 
the previous year, he received the honorary degree 
of D. D. from Dickinson College, Pa. He had been 
a member of the Standing Committee for twenty-two 
successive years, eleven of which, he was its President. 
For eight years, he was the Secretary of the Conven- 
tion. Twice he had been delegate to the General 
Convention, and in 1803 he preached the Convention 
sermon. He had great influence with both Bishops 
Claggett and Kemp, and gave his advice in a rather 
dogmatic manner, as his correspondence shows, of 
which we have upwards of forty letters. During his 
last year in Annapolis^ he had for his assistant, the 
Rev. John G. Blanchard. 

On leaving St. Ann's, he removed to Delaware, and 
became the President of the College at Wilmington, 
(he removed to Cecil County, and officiated subse- 
quently 1834^ at Elkton, and at Georgetown in Kent 
County.) In 1831 however, he was residing at Pop- 
lar Springs on the Baltimore and Frederick road, 
some 28 miles from the city^ and officiated occasion- 
ally at the chapel of St. Thomas' Parish, now Holy 
Trinity, in Carroll County. But as he could not ob- 
tain letters demissary from Delaware, he never be- 
came a member of the Diocese after his leaving An- 
napolis. He was a man of much learning, of vigor- 
10=^ 



114 HISTORICAL NOTICES 

ous mind and of commanding personal stature. He 

died J leaving a son, the Hon. Henry Winter 

Davis now member of Congress, and a daughter, Jane 
Cunningham^ now the wife of the Rev. Mr. Syle^ Mis- 
sionary to China. 



EEV. JOHN G. BLANCHARD, Thirty-fourth 
Minister. 



Mr. Blanchard was a native of Massachusetts, and 

graduated at . He was ordained deacon by 

Bishoj) Kemp, October 13th, 1824, and became assist- 
ant to Dr. Davis ; and in 1826, on Dr. Davis's leav- 
ing, he became his successor in the rectorship of the 
parish. He found here fifty-eight communicants, and 
a Sunday-School of twenty-six females, white. In 
his report to the convention of 1826, he said, during 
the past year, our congregation has more than doub- 
led, imj)ortant repairs have been made upon the church 
and parsonage, partly by subscription^ and partly by 
the sale of church property. This year, 1827, Bish- 
op Kemp died. But there was no appointment of 
a successor, till Bishop Stone was consecrated to the 
Episcopate, in 1830. 

At the end of a ten years' connection with St. 
Ann's, Mr. Blanchard resigned the parish in 1836, 
leaving seventy-four communicants. Incited by the 
spiritual wants of a large and increasing population, 
in the western part of the city of Baltimore, he deter- 
mined to seek his field of usefulness tliere. Under 
the advice and direction of the Bishop, he was just 
about to enter on his labors, having removed there, 
and took his lodging at a boarding house, S. W. cor- 
ner of Saratoga and Calvert, but two days after his 



OF ST. ANX'S PAKISH. 115 

arrival, he was attacked by a bilious fever, which ter- 
minated his life, in little more than a week, on the 
8th of October, 1834, fet. 35, leaving behind him, a 
widow who is still living, the daughter of Bryan 
Philpott, Esq., of Baltimore County, three sons and 
a daughter. The elder son Edward Wyatt, is now 
a member of the Baltimore bar, and the daughter is 
the wife of Alexander Randall, Esq., of Annapolis. 

To a mind naturally strong and well directed, Mr. 
Blanchard had the advantages of a liberal education. 
The high sense of his ability and integrity entertain- 
ed by his adopted diocese, was manifested in placing 
him in the Standing Committee eight times, and in 
making him delegate to the General Convention in 
1832. 

In the early part of his illness, as we are informed 
by one who was his constant visitor, he was not aware 
that his end was nigh. He met his deliverer howev- 
er, having become aware of his situation, with a firm 
trust in the efficacy of the Redeemer's merits, express- 
ing a devout sense of refreshment from the consecra- 
ted elements he had partaken. He strove to soothe 
her whom he was about to leave a widow, and for- 
gave all, as he hoped to be forgiven, commending his 
spirit into the hands of a faithful Creator. He was 
of a retiring disposition, and averse to ostentation. 
His friends and the community were witnesses^ that 
his preaching was Christ and him crucified, that his 
labors were unwearied, and attest his piety and at- 
tachment to the services and institutions of the church. 
Much of this is from the Churchman of November 8th, 
1834. 



116 HISTORICAL NOTICES 



KEY. GEORGE McELHINEY, D.J)., Thirty-fifth 
Minister. 



Mr. McElhiney was a native of Ireland, but was 
educated mainly in the Academy of the Eev. Dr. 
Barry in Baltimore, where also he was an Assistant. 
He was ordained deacon January 6th, 1820, by Bish- 
op Kemp ; and in July of that year, went to Pitts- 
burg, Pa. But he very soon returned and took charge 
of St. James's Parish, Baltimore County. In 1826, 
he accepted the rectorship of Trinity Parish, Charles 
County, but at the end of the year, he returned again 
to St. James. In 1831, he removed to Somerset Pa- 
rish in Somerset County, and became its Eector. It 
was from thence that he came to St. Ann's in the fall 

of 1834, In he received the degree of D, D. 

from . 

During his ministry here, his convention reports 
being merely statistical; we only learn, that in 1840 
the number of communicants was about ninety. The 
Sunday-School had one hundred children, and $245 
had been contributed during the year, to missionary, 
and other objects connected with the advancement of 
religion. 

At the previous Convention, he had been appoint- 
ed to procure subscriptions for a permanent Episco- 
pal fund. But it was not till after the election of 
Bishop Whittingham in 1840, that he entered on his 
mission, to any material extent. He then did so, 
with very promising success, procuring subscriptions 
to the amount of |62,000. It was while he was pros- 
ecuting this work that he was seized with the conges- 
tive fever, at Leonardtown, in St. Mary's County, and 
died on the 2nd of May, 1841, a^t. 42. He left behind 



OF ST. Ann's parish. 117 

him a widow, a son, and a daughter, who still reside 
in Annapolis. 

He was a member of the Standing Committee for 
the ten years previous to his death, and preached the 
Convention Sermon in 1834. 

In his address to the convention, which met a few 
days after Dr. McElhiney's death, Bishop Whitting- 
ham spoke of him, as the noble hearted, honest, up- 
right man, the humble,, single-minded christian, the 
ardent, zealously devoted minister of the gosjDcl of 
salvation, and servant of the church of his Redeemer. 



SEVERN PARISH. 

In 1838, it appears from the report of the Rev. 
Henry Aisquith, that with the consent of the Rector, 
he had for some months officiated in the upper or 
chapel part of the parish, and organized an independ- 
ent congregation, by the name of the Severn Church, 
but it was not till 1845, that it was made a parish, 
having metes and bounds. This, then, materially 
lessened the territory of the parish, taking off all 
North West of a line drawn from J. Iglehart's land- 
ing on the Severn, to Broad Creek on South River. 
This was the second diminution of territory suffered 
by St. Ann's Parish. 



REV. GORDON WINSLOW, D. D., Thirty-sixth 
Minister. 



Mr. Winslow came here in 1741, from the Diocese 
of V^'estern New York.. He had been a minister in 
connection with the Congregationalists, and was or- 



118 HISTORICAL NOTICES 

dained to the diaconate in May, 1836, and settled in 
Troy, N. Y. From thence it seems he came here. 

His convention report of 1842, shows us that the 
number of communicants was steadily on the increase, 
that large repairs were made on the j^fj-i'sonage, 
amounting to |450, that a hell had been placed on 
the church at the cost of $200, and that, including 
these, the contributions of the parish during the year 
had been $1,032. 

In Mr. Winslow^'s report for 1843, we are shown 
that the communicants now numbered 108. The Sun- 
day-School had not increased, but the contributions 
for the year had been $912. Services had been per- 
formed not only twice on the Sabbath, but also on 
every Wednesday morning, and every Friday even- 
ing. 

Mr. Winslow appears to have continued here, till 
the spring of 1844, when he resigned the parish and 
removed to the diocese of K. Y. He has since, re- 
ceived the degree of D. D., and is residing on Staten 
Island. 



KEY. EDWIN M. YAN DUESEN, D. D. Thirty- 
seventh Minister. 



Mr. Yan Deusen entered on his duties here on Eas- 
ter Sunday, May 12th, 1844. He is a native of Mas- 
jsachusetts, so it is stated, and was ordained deacon, 
by Bishop Stone, June 2Dd, 1837, and took charge of 
St. John's Parish, Prince George's County. From 
there he came to Annapolis. 

In his report at the Convention of 1846, he states 
that the church had been thoroughly repaired and 
materially improved, at an expense of about $1100. 



OF ST. ANN'S PARISH. 119 

The exterior and interior wood work was painted, and 
the tower roof reuewed, the tomb stones, so long used 
as stepping stones, were placed in suitable positions in 
the yard^ and granite steps substituted. The aisles 
were carpeted, the chancel enlarged^, the pulpit chang- 
ed in its form, and a marble communion table substi- 
tuted for the old one. The system of pew rents was 
now adopted and but two or three pews remained un- 
occupied. Besides the Sunday, Wednesday, and Fri- 
day services, the Fast and Festival were regularly 
observed. 

Mr. Van Deusen resigned the parish in the Sum- 
mer of 1847. At the Convention of that year he re- 
ported 138 communicants. This was one hundred 
more than were reported by Dr. Davis, the first time 
there is any record of their number, thirty-one years 
before. The increase had been constant and gradual. 

Mr. Van Deusen removed to Delaware and took 
charge of the church in Wilmington, in the year 
1853. He has since removed to Pittsburg, Pa., and 
become rector of a church there. 

At the commencement of St. John's College in 
July, 1856, the degree of D. D. was conferred on him. 
And he had previously published a 12 mo. volume of 
Sermons. 



KEV. CLELLAND KINLOCK NELSON, Thirty^ 
EIGHTH 3Ii:asiER. 



Mr. Nelson took charge of this church on the 1st 
or" October, 1847. He is a native of Virginia, the son 
of the late Hon. Hugh Nelson, a graduate of Jefter- 
son College, Pennsylvania, and of the Theological 
Seminary of Virginia in 1839. He was ordained dea- 
con by Bishop Moore of Va., in July of that year. 



120 HISTORICAL NOTICES 

On the 15th of January^ 1845, he entered on his 
duties jafiTii^-'haYiB-g previously been) rector of Trinity 
Church, Ui)per Marlboro', Prince George's County, ;;j 
He found here but 122 communicants. 5 

At the Convention of 1848, it appears that collec- > 
tions had been made for Foreign and Domestic Mis- ' 
sions, Bibles, Prayer-books, Sunday-School, the poor 
and other church purposes, amounting to 1 750. 

In 1849, he had for his Assistant, the 



KEY. WILLIAM W. LOKD. 



Mr. Lord came to this diocese, from New Jersey — 
he continued here less than a year, and then became 
the Assistant of the Kev. Dr. Atkinson, St. Peter's, 
Baltimore. After which, he officiated for a while in 
1851 in Hagerstown, and in 1852 removed to Missis- 
sippi, and is now rector of the church in Vicksburg 
in that Diocese. 



This year, Mr. Nelson reported the various contri- 
butions for church purposes at $1,084. The parson- 
age was now also undergoing repairs, and the Sun- 
day-School had 20 teachers and 130 scholars. 

This year, 1850, the Hector had for his Assistant, the 



PvEV. SAMUEL K. STEWART. 



Mr. Stewart is a native of the Eastern Shore^ Ma- 
ryland, and was ordained deacon by Bishop Whit- 



OF ST. Ann's parish. 121 

tingliam, December 24tli, 1848. He then became the 
Assistant of the Rector of Coventry Parish, Somerset 
County. From thence he came here, and in addi- 
tion to the duties rendered by him as a deacon, he 
taught the parish free school. 

In 1851, on being ordained priest, he became the 
Rector of Worcester Parish, Worcester County, and 
is still in charge there. 



The collections and offerings of St. Ann's, as re- 
ported at the Convention this year^ 1850, for purposes 
within and without the Parish, aside from the support 
of the Rector, are stated $1,483. In 1851, $2,275. 

In 1852, Mr. Nelson reports, that the repairs ujjon 
the parish church begun more than two years ago, 
are at length completed ; and we have now the great 
satisfaction of meeting for worship in a beautiful, 
comfortable and fitting, instead of a ruinous, church 
edifice — and it is all paid for. The congregations 
w^ere stated to be regularly full, and steadily increas- 
ing, and a gradual improvement was visible in the 
interest taken in the services of the sanctuary. There 
had been collected for various church purposes §1,660. 
In 1853, $1,86T. In 1854 Mr. Nelson was appoint- 
ed by the Convention, one of the Trustees of the Gen- 
eral Theological Seminary. 

In 1856, the communicants are now reported at 
186, an increase of 64 during Mr. Nelson's Rector- 
ship. The amount contributed this year other tlian 
pew rents, was $3,048. The rector's salary is now 
$1200. 

At this Convention, Mr. Nelson was appointed by 
its unanimous vote, to visit the Diocese to obtain an 
endowment for St. James's College. But the vestry 
of St. Ann's declined to dispense with his absence 
from the parish. 
11 



122 HISTORICAL NOTICES 



We have now passed over in review, the territory 
of this parish for a period of 207 years, and of the 
parish itself for 164 years. 

We have noticed the ministry here of more than 
forty clergymen — the erection of the two successive 
church edifices — the diminution of its territory hy or- 
ganizing two new parishes — one partly and the other 
wholly within its bounds. We have seen something 
of its various vicissitudes, and its now present condi- 
tion. The whole furnishes much instruction. 

St. Ann's Parish has emj)hatically a Maryland pop- 
ulation, and yet perhaps, retains less of the heredita- 
ry influences of puritanism_, than do the other parishes 
where it was originally prevalent. This is owing no 
doubt, to the fact of its having been so long the seat 
of Government, and subject to its uniformly demor- 
alizing influences. 

There can be no doubt, that it would be of great 
advantage, if the church in the city, were made an 
independant parish; and the remaining part of its 
territory be also made a separate parish. The min- 
ister of St. Ann's will always find as much as he can 
do well, in connection with that church. The rest of 
the parish must consequently be more or less neglect- 
ed, and occupied by others. So it has been, and is 
still as elsewhere. 



OF ST. ANN S PARISH, 



123 



EECTORS. 



1 1696, Rev 

2 1699, 

3 1704, 

4 1710, 

5 1711, 

6 1713, 

7 1714, 

8 1725, 

9 1740, 

10 1740, 

11 1744, 

12 1745, 

13 1749, 

14 1749, 

15 1754, 

16 1754, 

17 1757, 

18 1759, 

19 1761, 

20 1767, 

21 1768, 

22 1771, 

23 1772, 

24 1775, 

25 1777, 

26 1777, 

27 1781, 
J8 1785, 

29 1804, 



Peregrine Coney, - - - page 27 
Edward Tapp, ----'' 33 
James Wootton,* - - - - 
Joseph Colbatch, of All Hal- 
lows Parish, - - - - 
Edward Butler,* - - - - 
Jacob Henderson, of Queen 
Anne Parish - - - - 
Samuel Skippon,* - - - 
John Humphreys,* - - - 
James Stirling, - - - 
Charles Lake, _ - _ - 
Samuel Edgar,* - - - - 
John Gordon, _ _ _ _ 
Andrew Lendrum, - - - - 
Alexander Malcolm, - - 
John Myers, ----- 
John McPherson, officiating, 
Clement Brooke, ^^ 

Alexander Williamson, - - 
Samuel Keene, D. D., - - 
Bennet Allen, ----- 
William Edmiston, - - 
Jonathan Boucher, - - - 
John Montgomery, - - - 
Thomas Lendrum, - - - 
Thomas Bead, - - - - 
William Hanna, of Westmin- 
ster Parish, ----- 
Thomas Gates, - - - - 
Ralph Higginbotham, - - 
William Duke, - - - - 



124 



HISTORICAL NOTICES 



30 1806, Kev 


. William L. Gibson, - - pag 


^el04 


31 1807, 


• 


BethelJudd, D. D., - - ' 


' 106 


32 1812, 




William Nind, - - - - ' 


' 108 


33 1816, 




Henry L. Davis, D. D., - ' 


' 110 


1825, 




John Gr. Blancliard, Assistant,' 


' 113 


34 1826, 


c c 


John Gr. Blanchard, - - - ' 


' 114 


35 1835, 




George McElhiney, D. D.,* ' 


' 116 


36 1842, 


iC 


Gordon Winslow, . - . ' 


' 117 


37 1845, 




Edward M. Van Deusen, D.D. ' 


' 118 


38 1848, 




Clelland K. Nelson, - - 


' 119 


1849, 




W. W. Lord, Assistant^ - ' 


' 120 


1850, 




S. K. Stewart, " - - ' 


' 120 



* Those only thus marked died rectors of the parish. 



OF ST. Ann's parish. 125 



THE YESTRY-MEN FROM 1703 TO 1819, 



Col. John Hammond, 1704. 

William Bladen, 1704. 

William Taylard, 1704, 1705. 

Amos Garrett, 1704, 1705—1720. 

Maj. John Freeman, 1704, 1705, 1706. 

Samuel Norwood, 1704, 1705, 1706. 

Hon. Samuel Young, 1705, 1706, 1707—1710,1711— 

1715, 1716. 
John Baldwin, 1705, 1706, 1707. 
Maj. Josiah Wilson, 1706, 1707. 
Benjamin Fordham, 1706, 1707, 1708. 
Anthony Raley, 1707, 1708—1712. 
Thomas Freehorn, 1707, 1708. 
Maj. Charles Hammond, 1708, 1709, 1710. 
Jacob Lusby, 1708. 
John Gresham, 1707, vice Maj. Wilson, 1710, 1711, 

1712. 
Evan Jones, 1709, 10, 11—1716. 
Capt. John Davidge, 1709, 10, 11— May, 1735. 
Robert Lusby, 1710, 11, 1713, 14, 15. 
Thomas Bordley, 1710, 1718. 
Richard Warfield, 1710—1714, 15, 16—1729. 
Thomas Meyer, 1711, 12, 13, dead. 
Joseph Howard, 1712, removed. 
Joseph Hill, 1712. 

George Yalentine, 1713 — 1718, dead. 
Benjamin Tasker, 1714, 15, 16—1722, 23, 24—1730. 
William Maccubin, 1714, 15, 16. 
Caleb Dorsev, 1714, 15, 16—1731. 
Alexander Warfield, 1728. 
William Hunt, 1716. 
James Crook, 1717. 
11* 



120 HISTORICAL NOTICES 

Bernard White, 1717. 

Stephen AVorman, 1719, 20. 

Thomas Larkin, 1719. 

Albert Greening, 1720, 21, dead. 

William Cumniins, 1721—1732, vice Gov. B. L. Cal- 
vert. 

Gov. Charles Calvert, 1721. 

Dr. Alexander Frazier, 1723. 

Humplirey Rido'ely, 1722. 

Eobert Gordon," 1723. 

Vachel Denton, 1724, 25, 26—1732. 

John Jobson, 1734, vice Lawson. 

Thomas Worthington, 1726, — vice Benson, 1734, 
vice Dorsev, 1742, — vice Andrews, 1749. 

Michael Macnemara, 1736, 37, 38—1743. 

John Beale, 1727. 

Philip Hammond, 1727, 28, 29—1740. 

Edmund Jennings, 1728. 

John Ross, 1741. 

John Worthington, 1729, 30, 31—1748. 

Benedict Leonard Calvert, 1730, 31. 

Amos Woodward, 1732. 

Ezekiel Gilliss, 1732. 

Dr. Richard Tootell, 1736, 7, 8—1764, 5, 6. 

Charles Griffith, 1737, 38, 39, 1758, 59, 60—1744, 
45, 46—1750. 

Stephen Bordley, 1742. 

John Bullen, 1738. 

John Lomas, 1737. 

William B. Gaither, 1736. 

Richard Dorsey, 1743, 44, 45. 

Richard Warfield of John, 1739. 

John Ramsay, 1739. 

Dr. Charles Carroll, 1740, 41, 42—1748, 49, 50. 

John Brice, 1741, 42, 43—1759, 60, 61—1766, 67, 
dead. 

Simon Duff, 1744. 



OF ST. Ann's parish. 127 

Thomas Jennings, 1745, 46, 47. 

William Roberts, 1745, 46, 47. 

John Carpenter,- 1746. 

Edward Dorsey, 1746. 

William Sutton, 1747. 

William Reynolds, 1752, 53, 54. 

Nicholas Maccubin, 1747, 48, 49—1767, 68, 69. 

Alexander Hamilton, 1749. 

Walter Dulaney, 1751, 2, 3—1764, 5, 6—1768, 69, 

70. 
Richard Warfield, Jr., 1751. 
Thomas Baldwin, 1752. 

Thomas Beale Dorsey, 1743, 4, 5—1769 died. 
Robert Swann, 1754, 5, 6. 
Brice T. Worthington, ]754, 5, 6—1760, 1, 2. 
James Maccubin, 1755, 6, 7—1761, 2, 3. 
William Roberts, 1755, 6, 7. 
Alexander Warfield of Richard, 1756, 7, 8. 
Dr. George Stewart, 1756, 7, 8. 
Lancelot Jacques, 1757, 8, 9 — 1763, 4, 5. 
Richard Maccubin, 1757, 8, 9. 
James Johnson, 1758, 9. 

Nicholas Worthington, 1759. 60, 61—1779—1782. 
Nathan Hammond, 1759, 60, 61, 62—1770, 1, 2— 

1774, 5, 6, 7. 
Dr. Upton Scott, 1759, 60—1762, 3, 4. 
William Woodward, 1761, 2, 3, 1771, 2, 3. 
Charles Carroll, Barrister, 1762, 3, 4. 
Thomas Hyde, 1774, 5, 6—1784, 5, 6, T. 
Robert Couden, 1763, 4, 5. 
John Hesselius, 1764, 5, 6. 
Brice T. J. Worthington, 1767, 8, 9. 
Caleb Dorsey, 1767. 
John Hall, 1769, 70, 71. 

Samuel Chase, 1770, 71, 72—1775, 6, 7—1779. 
William Paca, 1771, 72, 73. 
John Bullen, 1772, 3, 4—1776, 7, 8. 



128 HISTORICAL NOTICES 

William Woodward of William, 1772, 3, 4—1777. 

Matthias Hammond, 1773, 4, 5. 

Allen Quinn, 1773, 4, 5—1777, 1780. 

Philemon Warfield, 1774, 5, 6—1783. 

Beriah Mavberry, 1779, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 1788, 89, 

90, 91. ' 
William Woodward, Jr., 1779. 
William Farris, 1779. 
William Goldsmith, 1779, 80, 81. 
Francis Fairbrother, 1781, 82, 83. 
Joseph Eastman, 1780, 81, 82, 83. 
James Einggold, 1784, 5, 6. 
T. B. Hodgkin, 1786, 7, 8. 
James Williams, 1780, 1804, 5, 6. 
Col. James Tootell, 1782, 3, 4. 
James Brice, 1784, 5, 6, 7. 
Thomas Johnson, 1783. 
John Callahan, 1785, 6, 7. 
Frederick Green, 1785, 6, 7, 8. 
Thomas Harwood, 1785, 6, 7, 8, 0. 
John Davidson, 1787, 8. 9. 
James Maccubin, 1787, 8, 9, 90—1797, 8, 9—1800, 

3,4. 
Joseph Clark, 1788, 9, 90. 
Charles Wallace, 1789, 90, 91—1800. 
James StcAvart, 1789, 90, 91, 92. 
John Kandall, 1790, 91, 92, 93—1800, 1, 2, 3—1812, 
Thomas Callahan, 1790, 91, 92. 
John Gassaway, 1791, 2, 3. 

Kobert Denny, 1791, 2, 3, 1799, 1811— Eegister. 
George Mann, 1792, 3. 
Richard Owen, 1792, 3, 4, 5—1799, 1800, 1,-1805, 

6, 1808. 
William Marbury, 1793, 4, 5. 

Barton Whetcroft, 1793, 4, 5, 6—1800, 1, 2, 3, 5. 
.Samuel Hervey Howard, 1694, 5, 6, 7,-1803, 4. 
John Gwinn, 1795, 6, 7. 



OF ST. Ann's parish. 129 

Jouatlian Wilmer, 1T95. 

Jonathan Pinkney, 1796, 1809, 10, 11, 12—1816. 

John Shaw, 1805, 1815, 16, 17, 18. 

John Ridoiit, 1797, 8, 9. 

Gen. John Davidson, 1798, 9, 1800. 

Frederick aranimar, 1799, 1800, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. 

Joseph Brewer, 1801, 2. 

Jesse Rav, 1801, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. 

Samuel Ridout, 1803, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 17, 18. 

James Whetcroft, 1804, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. 

William Williams, 1804. 

Richard Lockerman, 1806 — 1814. 

James P. Maynard, 1807, 8, 9, 10. 

Frederick Green, 1807, 8, 9, 10 died. 

Joseph Sands, 1807. 

Ninian Pinkney, 1807, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 16. 

Barton Whetcroft, 1808. 

Alexander C. Magruder, 1808—1813, 14, 15,16, 17. 

John Hyde, 1809, 10, 11, 13, 14, 15. 

John Golden, 1811, 12. 

Thomas H. Bowie, 1813, 14, 15. 

Dr. John Ridgely, 1813. 

Henry Maynadier, 1816. 

George Barber, 1816. 

H. H. Chapman, 1817. 



130 HISTORICAL NOTICES 



THIS COMPILATION IS FKOM THE 
FOLLOWING SOUECES:— 



The Land Records in the Land Office— at Annapolis. 
The Records of Wills in the Register of Wills, Office— at Annapolis. 
Council Records in the Executive Department, do. 

Journals of the Upper House . do. 

Records of St. Ann's Parish, Ann Arundel County. 
^Do. do. St. James's do. do. 

Do. do. St. Peter's do. Talbot County. 

Do. do. St. Michael's do. do. 

Do. do. St. Paul's do. Queen Anne Countv. 

Do. do. St. Luke's do. do. 

Do. do. St. Paul's do. Kent County. 

Do. do. Chester do. do. 

Do. do. Shrewsbury do. do. 

Do. do. St. Andrew's do. St. Mary's County. ^^^''^ 

Do. do Charlotte Hall School do. 

Do. do. AVilliam and Mary Parish, Charles County. 

Do. do. Trinity do. do. 

Do. do. Prince George's do. Montgomery Countv. 

Do. do. St. Paul's, do. Baltimore County. ' 

Do. do. St. Thomas's do. do. 

Do. do. St George's do. Harford County. 

Rev. Thomas Cradock's Sermon, 1*753, manuscript. 
Bishop Claggett's Papers and Letters. 
Rev. Mr. Duke's do. do. 

Bishop Kemp's do. do. 

My own Collections of Papers and Letters. 
Leonard Strong's Pamphlet of 1655. 
John Langford's do. do. 

Capt. Heaman's do. do. 

Virginia and Maryland do. 

Relations of John Bozman Kerr, Esq., and others. 
G. L. L. Davis, Esq.'s Letters in N. Y. Churchman. 
Maryland Historical Society Papers. 
Collections of the New York Historical Committee. 
Collections of the Protestant Episcopal Historical Society. 
Reports of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel. 
Hazzard's Collections. 
Park's Maryland Gazette, 1^728. 
Green's Maryland Gazette, 1^39 — 1840. '^ 
Journals of Maryland Diocesan Conventions, 1784 to 1856. 

Do. do. Connecticut do. 1784 to 1820. 

Park's Laws of Maryland. 



OF ST. Ann's parish. 131 



Bacon's Lavrs of Maryland. 

Hanson's do. 

Kilty's do. 

Maxy's do. 

Kilty's Land Holders' Assistant. 

Oldmixon's History of Maryland. 

Bozman's do. 

Hawk's do. 

Burk's do. of Virginia. 

Eddis's Letters from Annapolis. 

Boucher's Discourses. 

Ridgely's Annals of Annapolis. 

The Church Review. 

New York Churchman. 

Christian Journal of New York, 1822. 

Sword's Almanac. 

The Churchman's Almanac. 



%^ 



